Abant Meeting Will Positively Influence Future of Politics
The recent meeting of the Abant Platform, titled "Searching for Peace and a Future Together," will have a positive impact on the future of politics, experts have noted, underlining that such actions by intellectuals will bring about mutual understanding and help overcome prejudices.
The meeting, which was held Sunday and Monday in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil in cooperation with Salahaddin University and the Mukriyani Institute, ended with a final assessment that urged tolerance and further cooperation between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq.
The evaluation mentioned general principles - such as adherence to the rule of law and the necessity of reinforcing the ties of brotherhood between the two parties and establishing and improving an atmosphere of dialogue and tolerance - as well as some practical steps, such as the facilitation of border passages and the establishment of a Turkish consulate in Arbil and a KRG representation office in Ankara.
Intellectual Ümit Firat, one of the participants, said the meeting would help pave the way to improving relations.
"There are certain things that cannot be accomplished by governments due to the public reaction toward them. But the Abant meeting in Arbil paved the way for the improvement of the Turkish public's perception of the KRG," he said.
According to him, the subject will continue to be on the agenda, only now there are more realistic approaches available; he warned, however, that the meeting could be abused.
"Of course, some people will try to use the meeting as a tool for furthering negative attitudes against the improvement of relations between Turkey and the KRG. But there were many participants from Turkey from various backgrounds, and they will contribute to the discussion of the subject with common sense. On the other hand, of course, one meeting by itself cannot suddenly change everything," Firat said.
Another participant in the meeting, İbrahim Kalin, suggested that the development of normal relations was needed by both sides and that the meeting in Arbil was a confidence-building step.
"Even if the main problems like Kirkuk were solved, both sides would still be in need of deeper relations, which can be established in the field of economy and culture. Also, these relations will provide the political capital for solving problems. Within this framework, the Arbil meeting is important and will reflect practically on future relations," he said.
Tarik Ziya Ekinci, a prominent Kurdish intellectual who did not participate in the meeting, underlined that big changes should not be expected from just one meeting but that its positive reflections would be seen in the future.
"The speeches and messages from the Arbil meeting will reflect positively on relations. I think even the media's humiliating labeling of the KRG will change now," Ekinci predicted. (Ayşe Karabat, Ankara)
- Created on .