Institute of Strategic Thinking held a brainstorming meeting on the “Strategic and Economic Cooperation among Turkey Syria, Lebanon and Jordan”
The participants of the meeting:
Assoc Prof. Muhsin Kar (SDE Coordinator of Program of Economics),
Ass. Prof. Rüstem Yanar Gaziantep University Academic member of Department of Economics,
Prof. Birol Akgün, SDE coordinator of program of International Relations
Ass. Prof. Murat Çemrek SDE Vice Coordinator of Program of International Relations
Ass. Prof. Levent Aydın Kırıkale University Academic Member of the Department of Economics .
In the meeting the potential of the HLCC among the aforementioned countries in converting into a regional integration and its limits/feasibility within the frame of the theories of “economic integration” were discussed.
In his presentation Assistant Professor Rüstem Yanar touched upon the topics such as regional integration, Middle East regional integration, the economic relations between Turkey and countries in the region, general structure of the economies in the region, the foreign trade among the region countries and the limits of regional integration.
Following Dr. Yanar, Prof. Birol Akgün discussed the political dimensions of economic integration and stated that economic integration cannot be sustained in long run only via economic factors. Exemplifying his argument with the European Coal and Steel Cooperation (ECSC) Akgün stated that ECSC was not only an economic cooperation but there were political purposes in long run. He went on and claimed that therefore this economic and strategic cooperation can be a gate for political integration.
When it comes to the role of Turkey Akgün expressed that Turkey could play an stabilizing role in this cooperation very like the role that EU played for the integration of Eastern Europe to the union after the collapse of Soviet bloc. The EU was a hegemonic stabilizer for the Eastern Europe then. Furthermore, if it is told properly Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia may also join the project because it will fit into their interests as well.
Ass. Prof. Levent Aydın speaking after Prof. Akgün focused the sustainability of the economic integration if accomplished. He claimed that the sustainability of the integration projects after maintaining the political will depends on economy. He also underlined the fact that these kinds of integrations should be considered as “projects.” What is more, Aydın referring to the fact that Turkey has already gained a significant experience in the terms of integration process in the course of her candidacy to the EU focused on the conditions required for the sustainability of the integration process.
Ass. Prof. Murat Çemrek, as the last speaker in the meeting, shaped his presentation on the argumentation that political relations are more important than economy. Referring to Fahmi Huwaydi’s statement that “With the Camp David Arrangements in 1979, the Arab World lost its leader and now Turkey has became the leader of the Arab World” Çemrek stated that the first chairman of Islamic Conference Organization that came via election is from Turkey and the US president accepted the aforementioned chairman for the first time with this change. Çemrek went on his presentation with a few previsions on 2020s and stated that the youth population increases in Arab World and Turkey will need this population in near future.
The meeting concluded with question-answer session.