İstanbul 2017 Inspiring Change in an Age of Uncertainty 18th -19th October | 2017 | İstanbul Inspiring Change in an Age of Uncertainty Edited by Selçuk Aydın © TRT WORLD RESEARCH CENTRE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PUBLISHER TRT WORLD RESEARCH CENTRE FEBRUARY 2018 TRT WORLD FORUM 2017 Inspiring Change in an Age of Uncertainty researchcentre.trtworld.com/forum Edited by Selçuk Aydın 18th -19th October | 2017 | İstanbul Contributors: researchcentre.trtworld.com/forum Dr Jamal Abdullah Alonso Alvarez Ozan Ahmet Çetin Ahmet Dağ Özgür Dikmen Kübra Kaya Aruuke Uran Kyzy Alpaslan Oğuz Inspiring Change in Razan Saffour Fawaz Abdul Salam Hakan Şirin Muhammed Ali Uçar Muhammed Lütfi Türkcan an Age of Uncertainty Photo Credit: Anadolu Agency TRT World Forum 2017 Photos This book includes summaries and highlights of keynote speeches, seven public and seven closed sessions of the TRT World Forum 2017. The views, themes and discussion points expressed in the TRT TRT WORLD İSTANBUL World Forum 2017 book are strictly those of the speakers and participants present at the Forum, and AHMET ADNAN SAYGUN STREET NO:83 34347 ULUS, BEŞİKTAŞ do not reflect the official view of the TRT World Research Centre. İSTANBUL / TURKEY TRT WORLD LONDON PORTLAND HOUSE 4 GREAT PORTLAND STREET NO:4 LONDON / UNITED KINGDOM TRT WORLD WASHINGTON D.C. 1620 I STREET NW, 10TH FLOOR, SUITE 1000, 20006 WASHINGTON DC / UNITED STATES www.trtworld.com Contents Keynote Public Closed 06 Prefaces 16 Speeches 48 Sessions 150 Sessions 208 06 Preface by İbrahim Eren / 16 Guest of Honour Recep Tayyip Erdoğan / President of the Republic of Turkey 50 Redefining the Global Agenda: Old Guard vs New Players 152 Turkey’s Foreign Policy: New Directions and Memories from the Director General and Chairman, TRT Kingsley Makhubela, Karin Von Hippel, Gülnur Aybet, Pan Wei, Stephen Chan Challenges TRT World Forum 2017 26 Opening Ceremony 66 Emerging Trends and New Threats in MENA Region 08 Preface by Murat Akgüç / 160 Developing Counter-Narratives to the Far-Right Rached Ghannouchi, İbrahim Kalın, Tarik Yousef, Jonathan Nicholas Powell Managing Director, TRT World and TRT Al Arabiya 32 Welcoming Speech by İbrahim Eren / Director General and Chairman, TRT 80 Re-thinking Media: Responsible Reporting on 168 The Impact of the July 15th Coup Attempt on the 10 Executive Summary by Pınar Kandemir / 34 Opening Speech by Bekir Bozdağ / Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey Humanitarian Crises Turkish State and Society Director of Research, TRT World Resul Serdar Ataş, Simon Marks, Rodney Dixon, Sarah Helm, Nicole Johnston 36 Opening Speech by Binali Yıldırım / Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey 176 Confronting Global Terror 96 Transforming Humanitarian Aid: A Refined Approach Fuat Oktay, Mukesh Kapila, Kani Torun, Richard Falk 40 Joint Keynote Speech: Regional Cooperation to Address the Humanitarian Crisis 184 Shockwaves of the War in Syria 110 Capitalising on Fear: The Politicisation of Xenophobia 44 Former Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s Highlights and Islamophobia 192 The Gulf Crisis and Geopolitical Tensions Fareed Hafez, Brendan Cox, Ilyasah Al- Shabazz, Sayeeda Warsi, Maha Azzam in the Gulf Region 46 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s Highlights 126 Big Business, Big Solutions: Encouraging Corporate Setting an Example: Turkey’s Humanitarian Role Social Responsibility 200 İlker Aycı, İbrahim Eren, Paul Polak 138 Digital Influencers and Their Role on Shaping Public Discourse Humza Arshad, Subhi Taha, Didem Kaya, Riyaad Minty 6 7 Since the launch of the TRT World project back in 2015, we have future of the region. The authority of traditional media is at a record strived to be the voice of the oppressed. Within a short period of low. The levels of xenophobia and Islamophobia are reminiscent of time, TRT World has transformed from an idea into a large media darker times. All of these events send shockwaves across the globe organisation, growing fast and without abandoning its principles. and create different trends in varying regions of the world. We have aimed to draw attention to the humanitarian angle of each story and be a catalyst for positive change. Humanitarian crises ‘Inspiring Change in an Age of Uncertainty’ the theme of TRT and conflicts causing human suffering have always occupied a World Forum 2017, was chosen in recognition of these dynamics. central position in our coverage. As a result, the forum has tried to approach this phenomenon from different aspects, ranging from the role of media to corporate We have aimed to be brave, independent and inspirational in our responsibility. coverage of humanitarian crises. Apart from capturing the news on the ground, we have reported human stories that would inspire I believe this year’s forum has been a success. With the public and positive action and evoke understanding and compassion. closed sessions held, we believe that we have created a productive and vibrant atmosphere of discussion for the participants. We have Preface I am now happy to announce that TRT World Forum has carried tried to shed light on issues, which would otherwise have attracted our media network to a new level, both in reach and in impact. less attention. Above all, TRT World Forum has provided each and every one of us a chance for mutual understanding that transcends İbrahim Eren With attendance of more than 600 academics, journalists, policy borders and cultures. Director General and Chairman, TRT makers, politicians and NGO representatives, we have laid the foundations of a new platform to address changing trends and discussions on global issues. İbrahim Eren Director General and Chairman, TRT We live in turbulent times. The global order has been changing with the rise of new players and the unjust behavior of the old guards. The MENA region is as restless as ever and cards are constantly reshuffled, leaving some despondent and others hopeful for the 8 9 A growing disparity between communication and understanding The topics explored in the Forum this year ranged from shifts in between states and societies could be one of the most pressing the global order to the rise of xenophobia, political instability in the reasons for most global issues today. TRT World Research Centre Middle East, humanitarian crises, corporate social responsibility held its first annual international forum on 18-19th October, 2017, and the rapidly changing landscape of the media. aspiring to address this pertinent issue. I see the first ever TRT World Forum as a major success in bringing TRT World Forum’s aim is to provide academics, politicians, together diverse ideas and viewpoints from all over the world and journalists, experts and representatives of civil society with a highlighting mostly the voices of the disadvantaged. I hope the Preface platform to provoke discussion on the global problems and warm, courageous and positive ambiance of the Forum will be challenges of our day. As such, the theme of this year’s Forum was representative of the change we aspire to achieve. Murat Akgüç ‘Inspiring Change in an Age of Uncertainty’, which commenced Managing Director, with an opening speech delivered by Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Murat Akgüç TRT World and TRT Al Arabiya Yıldırım and ended with a keynote address from President Recep Managing Director, Tayyip Erdoğan. Over 600 guests attended the public and closed TRT World and TRT Al Arabiya sessions combined, networked and engaged in the conversation. 10 11 Executive The TRT World Forum 2017, a two-day summit organised by the TRT Minister of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, delivered a joint keynote World Research Centre, gathered academics, politicians, journalists, speech on regional cooperation. The closing keynote speech was experts and members of civil society to discuss the most pertinent addressed by the Forum’s guest of honour, the President of the Summary issues in the world today. This year’s theme `Inspiring Change in Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Forum held seven an Age of Uncertainty’ sparked fierce debate around the hurdles public sessions and seven closed sessions which explored a variety that contribute to the creation of uncertainty across the world. of issues - ranging from military conflicts to humanitarian aid, recent Pınar Kandemir The welcoming speech was delivered by the Director General and surges in xenophobia and Islamophobia, to the influence of media Director of Research, Chairman of TRT, İbrahim Eren, followed by opening speeches outlets: traditional and social, on current developments. The TRT TRT World given by Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yıldırım, and Deputy Prime World Forum aimed to highlight the following questions: What are the Minister, Bekir Bozdağ. On the second day of the Forum the Former most demanding challenges creating uncertainty? And what are the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and Foreign solutions to these challenges? 12 13 Emerging new world order giving more voice and leverage to other states in the international arena. to the struggle against xenophobia, civil right movements in the West and own problems through regional cooperation, based on mutual trust. The A closed session titled: ‘Turkey’s Foreign Policy: New Directions and closed session `Shockwaves of the War in Syria’ also discussed the future In recent years, the international arena has begun experiencing a transformation seeking new models for governance. Challenges’, further discussed this notion through the perspective