Kjell Magne Bondevik, former prime minister of Norway, was in Istanbul recently for an event organized by the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF). Bondevik, who attended the Future Leaders Executive Program (FLEP) of the forum, spoke to Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview on Türkiye, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and nationalism.

On Türkiye’s rising role in international affairs, Bondevik highlighted that the country did not get the attention it deserved from the West due to "concerns" of the Western world. Türkiye was instrumental in securing the grain deal amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict to ease the food crisis and remained a major hub of refugees, particularly from Syria, as more people from war-torn countries seek better lives in Europe.

"(The grain deal and hosting of refugees) are good examples of how Türkiye can play a positive role in today’s world. In addition, Türkiye can be a bridge between the rest of Europe and the Arab world, Muslim world geographically as a place in the southeast of Europe," Bondevik said. Still, Türkiye faced numerous obstacles in its long pursuit of membership of the European Union. "I have been in favor of Türkiye being a member of the EU though Norway is not a member," Bondevik, who served as prime minister of the Nordic country from 1997 to 2000 and then from 2001 to 2005. "I think Türkiye has an important role to play. But I must admit that these positive things they have contributed to did not get necessary attention in the Western world because there are concerns in the West about democracy in Türkiye, how it is evolving, how it is practiced," Bondevik said. "These and the unresolved (Kurdish question) get more attention in the West than positive developments," he added.

Rising nationalism threat across Europe

On a question about rising nationalism, xenophobia and anti-Islam tendencies, especially in the aftermath of the rising number of refugees arriving from Syria, Bondevik said he agreed that nationalism and other developments were a threat to European democracy. "Fortunately, extreme nationalists are still a minority though we have them in many countries. There are different reasons behind their rise and immigration is one of them," he said, adding that anti-Semitism was also on the rise. "I think the democracy is the best system to counter, to fight against these tendencies," he said. Bondevik stressed that one of the ways to counter them was teaching young generations the importance of equality, equal values and the advantages of human rights and democracy.

Bondevik does not consider nationalism as becoming a new global norm, replacing neoliberal globalization, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which countries shut down their borders, and amid the current economic crisis where countries incline toward economic isolationism. "But it is so strong in many countries now," he said.

"There is no doubt, it has reduced the value of global organizations and a global way of thinking. But we have no choice because we are interlinked to each other; we depend on each other more than ever. We have social media and other media crossing the borders. We know more about each other. An incident in one part of the world will affect another part of the world. When we have a war, it will affect the other countries. We rely on each other. We should better understand that we should cooperate instead of fighting against each other," he says.

Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Norway was the birthplace of the Oslo Accords between the Israelis and Palestinians, and decades later, Bondevik does not see "any solution in the near future" to the conflict between the two sides. "It is very often said that it is the mother of all conflicts. I am an optimistic person, but I am not so optimistic in this regard now because we have seen so many setbacks over the years to the Oslo Accords," he acknowledged.

"Oslo Accords were a moral roadmap for further negotiations and we know that the main problems are borders, the refugee question and last but not least, that Jerusalem should be the capital for both (Israel and Palestinian territories). It is so complex. Unfortunately, conditions on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides are very bad for the time being for having successful negotiations. On the Israeli side, we have a right-wing government and some religious parties blocking every initiative for negotiations with Palestinians. On the Palestinian side, they are divided between Fatah and Hamas. I don’t see any solution in the near future, but I will never give up. I think the only lasting solution is a two-state solution," he said.

"Some are talking about the one-state solution, but that will lead, sooner or later, to an apartheid state. It must be a two-state solution, primarily for Jerusalem, primarily for Palestinians, (people) living peacefully with each other. I think the borders should be more or less, before the 1973 war, with some adjustments that can include some settlements. Palestinians (should) get some areas, and the link between Gaza and West Bank is crucial if this should be a state that can survive. But I think I am afraid it will take time," he cautioned.

Future leaders

FLEP has previously hosted prominent leaders in Istanbul, from former Austrian President Heinz Fischer to former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.

ICYF, the umbrella youth Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, organizes events to promote international cooperation between the youth and with the participation of governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide with a vision of economic and cultural development.

ICYF has been an observer in United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2021.

FLEP aims to unite the youth with heads of state and government, veteran ministers and chairs of reputed international organizations under the Chatham House Rule.