In the late 1990s, almost a decade after the Cold War had ended, the prevailing belief in a unipolar world with the "Globalization 2.0" model was that the world would advance swiftly toward a future centered around improved, inclusive and sustainable development in the 21st century.
In fact, there was a calm atmosphere to support this perception until the 2008 global financial crisis. In an environment where it is discussed that the global center of gravity has shifted from the Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific, in a multipolar world, with the United States, Russia and China turning into "power centers" in the economic, military and political arena, the Western countries were happy to be peaceful in their "comfort zones" not aware that the global economic-political system will go through comprehensive restructuring and not aware of the reality of a new international environment in which the weight of the emerging developing countries will rise.
In particular, the leading European Union countries maintained a sense of "naivety" during the late 1990s, believing that they would remain shielded from challenges such as declining living standards, emerging political and military threats, and the growing issue of immigration. They operated within their comfort zones until the 2008 global financial crisis exposed the cumbersome structure and slow decision-making process of the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB), influenced by extreme neoliberal ideologies. These weaknesses exacerbated the economic crisis, leading to significant damage to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), tradesmen, and the middle- and lower-middle-income segments of Europe. Moreover, it triggered severe banking and financial crises in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Iceland and partially in Ireland.
While Germany went through this process more easily, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and the Scandinavian countries faced serious, if not profound, difficulties. Central and Eastern European countries also had serious difficulties. On top of these problems, the terrorist attacks planned by the Daesh terrorist organization shocked Europe, which had not experienced inhumane acts for a long time.
The devastating terrorist attacks in France in 2015, the wave of suicide attacks across European countries, and the acts of terrorism in the U.S. and the U.K. since 2001 and 2005 have plunged Europe into a state of heightened threat. Despite the harrowing experiences of NATO member countries like Türkiye in dealing with terrorism, Western nations failed to grasp the severity of the global terrorist threat fully. They believed that they would remain immune to such inhumane acts within the confines of their comfort zones. Consequently, a robust, unified and cooperative response was lacking.
The 2008 global financial crisis, followed by a surge in terrorist acts and the subsequent impact of the "two black swans," namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasize a crucial realization that Western countries must now acknowledge after 14 years: The comfort zone we once knew has long ceased to exist. It is no longer viable to discuss the concept of a comfort zone in any part or region of the world. The combined effects of these events have shattered the illusion of security and stability, underscoring the imperative for a global acceptance of this new reality.
The world is currently grappling with a multitude of interconnected global challenges, including political crises, regional tensions and conflicts, economic and trade crises, the looming threat of a global pandemic, energy scarcity, food scarcity, disruptions in the global supply chain and the pressing issue of climate change. Having faced these realities for the past four decades, developing economies have actively strived for progress, always aware of the absence of a comfort zone and consistently preparing to confront threats and challenges head-on. It is crucial for Western countries to recognize that they, too, have relinquished their comfort zone and must urgently engage in more robust cooperation with leading developing nations.
