Recently, Turkey has become one of the most talked-about nations worldwide. Not only the strong leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but also Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın, who participated in the DOHA Forum 2022, have been at the top of the world agenda.
With 20 years of experience, the DOHA Forum is an international platform that hosts participants from all corners of the world to discuss critical challenges facing the world, promote the exchange of ideas and put forward action-oriented recommendations. DOHA Forum 2022 was opened with a comprehensive speech by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, covering some of the world’s most pressing problems: the climate crisis, the rise of Islamophobia and xenophobia in the West, refugee crises caused by wars and income inequality, Afghanistan and Qatar’s diplomatic mission.
Held under the shadow of the Russian-Ukrainian war, DOHA Forum hosts many discussions on the implications of the ongoing battle for the international system. After an exhibition by the Afghan girls’ robotic team, representatives and former administrators from Afghanistan spoke in many sessions due to Qatar’s humanitarian diplomacy in Afghanistan.
American business magnate Bill Gates and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell were among the key speakers at the forum. Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Emine Dzhaparova delivered a very prudent speech calling for peace in Ukraine. Laying out the demands of Ukraine in a reasonable way, Dzhaparova made a coolheaded speech despite the heat of the ongoing war.
The most exciting speeches at the forum belonged to the representatives of the Turkish government, which participants listened to intently. In her interview with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, CNBC’s notorious anchor Hadley Gamble asked several questions about Turkey’s difficulties in the international arena. Giving clear and strong answers, Çavuşoğlu received rapturous applause from the participants.
Regarding Russia’s attack on Ukraine, representatives of Western countries have not made any constructive recommendations to resolve the ongoing crisis. In contrast, Turkish representatives emphasized the need for a diplomatic and political resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian war by offering concrete proposals.
Like Turkish Defense Minister Akar’s attention-grabbing speech, Presidential Spokesperson Kalın’s speech on Turkey’s mediator role in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was captivating. Quoting Islamic scholar al-Ghazali, Kalın remarked that "principles exceeding their limits become their opposites," emphasizing the need to act prudently in such a critical and fragile situation.
Demonstrating Turkey’s rise as a regional power under President Erdoğan’s charismatic leadership, participants were curious about Turkey’s upcoming elections in 2023. Accordingly, representatives of Western countries made several commercial and political offers to Turkish representatives. They were eager to establish closer relations with Turkey with regret writ large for ignoring such a rising power in the recent past.
In the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, Turkey has proved its worth as a regional power. Received a standing ovation from the delegations of the two warring parties in Istanbul, President Erdoğan represents Turkey’s international status as a trusted and effective regional power. Western states also support Turkey’s critical role in mediation in the ongoing crisis.
President Erdoğan has been conducting a diplomatic process "thinner than hair, sharper than a sword." As experts of international relations speculate that this is the onset of World War III, history will hopefully record Turkey’s contribution to world peace.