TRT World Forum 2022, organized with the theme "Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities" in Istanbul on Dec. 9-10, came to an end on Saturday. Nearly 100 internationally recognized speakers from 40 countries participated in the forum, where global issues were discussed for two days.
TRT World Forum 2022, which attracted considerable interest in the world press this year with the issues closely related to the world agenda, was held under the main title "Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities."
The event, attended by academics, journalists, policy makers and representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world, included 11 public sessions and 11 expert roundtables.
Nearly 100 internationally renowned high-level speakers from 40 countries participated in the forum, which discussed critical global issues such as global cooperation, leadership, peace diplomacy, food security, energy crisis, climate change, migration, Islamophobia, media and digitalization, and disinformation.
In his opening speech at the Forum, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the discussions held by those working in the communications sector are ground-breaking for policymakers responsible for governing the country, adding, "I believe that the TRT World Forum, which brings important gains to our country, our region and the whole world, raises the bar of success every year."
Following the speech, the Director General of TRT, Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, presented Erdoğan with a gift representing the "Grain Corridor Deal" signed under the leadership of President Erdoğan, which provides a solution to the global food crisis.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who participated the TRT World Forum via live video link, stated that the food crisis is an essential element of his country's peace formula and that they are very grateful for the support of Türkiye and President Erdoğan in the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who delivered the opening speech on the second day of the event, stated that geography is destiny and added: "Our geography has taught us always to be alert and to be prepared for the effects of various conflicts. Thus, we became a resilient society. No matter what happens, we do not fall; we continue on our way. Without President Erdoğan's diplomatic leadership, the extension of the Grain Corridor Deal or the prisoner swap would not have been possible."
Fahrettin Altun, Director of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, stated that Türkiye has put forward a unique foreign policy model that will set an example for the whole world in this period and said that the main feature that makes the Turkish foreign policy model possible is strategic and conciliatory leadership.
The Director General of TRT, Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, expressed that the media has a great responsibility in solving global problems. "Media organizations must be a mirror for the totality of events, relations, people and issues from the world to the world. This is not a concern, but a matter of responsibility. A sincere struggle for truth must be properly conducted," Sobacı said.
Many global problems, from the energy crisis to the global migration crisis, from food security to Islamophobia, were discussed by internationally renowned speakers during the event, which featured public sessions and expert roundtables.
At the "Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities" panel, President of the 75th UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkır said, "There can be no NATO without Türkiye because Türkiye controls the Straits. President Erdoğan is conducting effective diplomacy. Issues such as the Grain Corridor Deal were achieved thanks to Türkiye. Türkiye has the largest army in NATO, and this should not be overlooked."
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), participated in "Feeding the World: Ensuring Global Food Security in Times of Crisis" via video message. Ghebreyesus stated, "We must end unsustainable production and consumption methods that destroy the environment and increase the likelihood of unhealthy food."
Digital media expert Glen Gilmore spoke in his presentation, "The Global Race for Technological Superiority: Shifting Paradigms in the Age of AI and Cybersecurity" stating, "Artificial intelligence is automating the decision-making process and the use of this technology is increasing."
In "Conflict Resolution and Peace Building: Shaping the Future of Global Leadership" panel, Burhanettin Duran, General Coordinator of SETA, stated that conflicts should be addressed with dialogue and multilateralism, saying, "Foreign policy of Türkiye provided a productive stage for this initiative, as Türkiye has established good relations with both Russia and Ukraine."
Neil Melvin, Director, International Security Studies of RUSI, spoke on the panel "European Security and the Future of Transatlantic Relations" emphasizing that Europe and the European Union are currently undergoing a transformation, and continued, "The EU is not just answering some geopolitical questions. It's a strong market and a major economic player, but it's struggling to be a foreign policy player."
Chief Executive Officer of African Union of Broadcasting Gregoire Ndjaka spoke in "Digitalization: A Rewarding Challenge for Public Broadcasting?" panel and explained that digitization is ruining the ecosystem in Africa. Ndjaka continued, "As the African Union of Broadcasting, we are establishing a new news agency in Algeria. We are happy to be in collaboration with TRT. We have started planning the Africa Media Forum together with TRT."
Marwan Muhammed, an activist working against Islamophobia, said in "Islamophobia Today: Right - Left Convergences" that "the media is very effective in shaping people's ideologies and perspectives in their lives. If people start learning about religion and Islam, discrimination and Islamophobia will decrease."
Serdar Demirel, Vice President of the Defence Industry Agency, spoke on the panel "The Transformation of Türkiye's Defence Industry and Its Impact on Foreign Policy" stating, "We are not a country that exports weapons. We are trying to help people protect their sovereignty. If you look closely, you will see that these are not aggressive countries."
