Q&A: Syria's territorial integrity is Türkiye's priority, Fahrettin Altun says

Fahrettin Altun, communications director for the Turkish presidency, spoke to Euronews about Syria, EU aspirations and Russia’s struggle in Ukraine.

The toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has thrust Türkiye into the geopolitical highlight, with Ankara set to play a key function in the way forward for its fractured neighbour.

Türkiye is without doubt one of the predominant winners of the ouster of al-Assad – having backed the rebels who seized energy – and it’ll have an enormous affect on the nation’s affairs, each straight by its new leaders and not directly through Western heads of state, many analysts say.

In an interview with Euronews, Fahrettin Altun, head of communications within the Turkish presidency, talked about Ankara’s evaluation of the brand new Syrian actuality and its stance on the nation’s future.

Altun additionally spoke about Türkiye’s latest mediation between Somalia and Ethiopia to resolve a dispute over plans for a port in Somaliland, its willingness to host additional peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and the nation’s continued want to affix the EU.

Euronews: How do you assess the state of affairs in Syria, and what’s Türkiye’s stance? It’s alleged that the collapse of al-Assad’s regime in such a short while was because of Türkiye’s diplomacy with Russia and Iran. Is that true?

Altun: Türkiye has stood by the aspect of the righteous, simply, and oppressed all through its historical past. Our nation maintains this stance in Syria and persists in its honest endeavours to heal the injuries of the brotherly Syrian individuals, contribute to their growth, and serve peace.

For that reason, we prioritise the peace and security of the native inhabitants. To this finish, we’re working to make sure the “voluntary, secure, and dignified” repatriation of Syrian refugees.

Syria can’t be evaluated as merely a regional disaster as a result of it’s a essential challenge with world implications. Türkiye’s precedence is defending Syria’s territorial integrity, political unity, and unitary construction. This construction is crucial to making sure the integrity of the area and the way forward for the Syrian individuals.

For the reason that onset of the Syrian disaster, Türkiye has advocated for the legit calls for and rights of the Syrian individuals and revered their free will. Syrian individuals’s battle to form their future, in addition to their resistance, have been the decisive issue on this course of.

Below the steerage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s imaginative and prescient, the Ministry of International Affairs is making important efforts by intense diplomacy visitors and maintaining communication channels open to all events within the area to make sure the safety of Syria’s territorial integrity and set up a long-lasting peace.

Türkiye’s diplomatic contacts with Russia and Iran are a part of its effort to work with the worldwide neighborhood to ascertain lasting peace and stability in Syria. Inside this context, Türkiye’s precedence has all the time been to guard Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity.

Finally, Türkiye won’t tolerate any political engineering or ethnic separation try within the lands of Syria by no means. The presence of terrorist organisations swarming in Syrian territory threatens not solely the border safety of our nation but in addition the steadiness of the area.

For that reason, Türkiye is decided to proceed to take a agency stand within the struggle in opposition to terrorism. Whether or not or not it’s the US, Russia, or Iran, we’re pursuing a solution-orientated coverage based mostly on justice and fairness in cooperation with worldwide actors.

For us, Syria is not only a neighbouring nation however a geography the place historic and humanitarian ties unite us. Türkiye, because the advocate of justice and protector of the oppressed, will persist in its endeavours for the peace and stability of the area.

Euronews: Türkiye’s mediation efforts had been final seen within the Somalia and Ethiopia talks. Are these mediation efforts ongoing between Russia and Ukraine as nicely, and is it potential for the international locations to come back collectively in Istanbul?

Altun: Below the management of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye is fulfilling its historic duty as a significant actor in establishing peace and stability. It has successfully mediated a variety of conditions, together with the newest negotiations between Somalia and Ethiopia and the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The diplomatic course of established by Türkiye between Russia and Ukraine is a notable instance. Istanbul was promoted as a peace platform throughout this course of, and it was well-received internationally.

Definitely, it’s conceivable that the international locations will reunite in Istanbul. On this context, Türkiye, as a stabilising energy, is able to present all kinds of help, together with humanitarian assist and the opening of peace talks.

We consider that every one sides should interact constructively and responsibly to stop the disaster between Russia and Ukraine from escalating additional. As Türkiye, we might make each effort to keep up not solely regional peace but in addition world stability, which we’re already doing.

Euronews: We all know that Türkiye has not given up on its want to affix the EU. Do you count on any enchancment on this challenge by 2025?

Altun: Türkiye’s EU accession objective is an integral a part of our strategic imaginative and prescient. This process is greater than only a overseas coverage resolution; it demonstrates our dedication to democracy, in addition to our efforts for growth and world collaboration.

Türkiye has by no means given up on its membership aspirations. 2025 could current new alternatives on this space. Nevertheless, it is very important notice that the European Union’s strategy can also be a decisive issue on this course of. As I’ve beforehand said, for the EU to imagine an efficient place on the worldwide stage, it should settle for Türkiye as a member.

Türkiye has all the time maintained an perspective of readiness to strengthen cooperation with the EU. We essentially anticipate the elimination of double requirements within the accession course of in addition to the institution of a constructive dialogue.

It’s our conviction that within the close to future, there might be a urgent want for the EU to boost its cooperative efforts with Türkiye, significantly with a view to tackle joint options to each world and regional challenges.

Euronews: It has emerged that the assault in Magdeburg was perpetrated by an Islamophobe. How do you consider this close to the rising far-right in Europe?

Altun: Initially, I want to specific that I strongly condemn this assault. My honest condolences exit to the households of the victims, in addition to the German individuals and authorities.

The truth that the Magdeburg assault was carried out by an Islamophobe highlights the worrying magnitude of Europe’s rising excessive proper and Islamophobia. Not solely do assaults of this nature profoundly undermine Muslim communities, however in addition they undermine Europe’s tradition of social peace and coexistence.

In recent times, the notion of the far proper because the “new regular” in Europe and the turning of anti-Islamic rhetoric into commonplace rhetoric have set the stage for the rise in hate crimes and a deepening of social polarisation.

Muslims in Europe are subjected to rising ranges of social discrimination, mobbing of their skilled lives, and bodily assaults. Nevertheless, this challenge is extra than simply Islamophobia; it’s a extreme safety and human rights concern that jeopardises Europe’s social concord.

Such incidents show that systemic marginalisation and discrimination in opposition to Muslims not solely hurt this neighborhood but in addition undermine Europe’s basic ideas of democracy, human rights, and social solidarity. Europe’s perfect of peace and coexistence could be preserved not by refraining from talking out within the face of this problem however by a decided will to handle its root causes and discover solutions.

Due to this fact, we should undertake a agency stance and take concrete steps to fight Islamophobia. Authorized rules deterring hate crimes ought to be put in place, and training and coverage measures to enhance social tolerance and inclusion ought to be prioritised.

As all European international locations, we should act with the realisation that our range is our richness and implement insurance policies that promote social solidarity. In any other case, sustaining peace and stability might be inconceivable.

Euronews: You simply held the Stratcom Discussion board 24, which centered on “AI in Communication: Developments, Traps, and Transition”. How would you characterize Türkiye’s strategy to synthetic intelligence?

Altun: Türkiye has been striving to create a sustainable AI ecosystem that generates worth on a world scale by its Nationwide Synthetic Intelligence Technique. Coaching AI specialists, rising employment, encouraging analysis and innovation, increasing entry to high-quality information and technical infrastructure, rising the speed of socioeconomic cohesion, and fortifying worldwide cooperation are just some of the necessary aims overlaying this technique. Türkiye is pursuing these aims with nice effort.

It’s also noteworthy that our AI technique contains safeguarding social, cultural, and human values from the socioeconomic transformation led to by this know-how. Information privateness ranks excessive among the many many points now we have emphasised all through this course of. We’re creating our personal cloud technique to counter the dangerous information insurance policies of AI fashions. On this context, now we have institutionalised the struggle in opposition to disinformation as a coverage space and can proceed to work tirelessly to ensure that correct info and reality prevail.

Because the Directorate of Communications, we stand in opposition to lies that mislead and manipulate the general public, and we struggle tirelessly to unfold the reality and correct info. By way of these efforts, Türkiye hopes to safe not simply the moral use of digital applied sciences but in addition the security and peace of thoughts of most of the people.

Euronews: After we consider synthetic intelligence, we sometimes envision alternatives; nonetheless, there are additionally threats. What’s your strategy at this level, and what sort of countermeasures could also be applied in opposition to these threats?

Altun: Synthetic intelligence instruments are more and more reworking our society and all industries. At present, AI stands out as a paradigm-shifting pressure in strategic communication. Concepts that had been as soon as solely envisaged in science fiction movies at the moment are available to everybody.

Nonetheless, this helpful technological development has the potential to turn into a digital weapon if not used for the suitable functions. The confinement of people to echo chambers in an algorithm-controlled world solely fuels social polarisation, with lies changing reality.

This circumstance serves as but to spotlight the significance of moral ideas in governing AI. This new growth brings about each new alternatives and new dangers. The safety and stability of the world are threatened by the existence of those that would use these expertise maliciously.

Though AI and different communication applied sciences have produced a wealthy communication ecosystem that has opened up new alternatives, experiences, and traits within the manufacturing and consumption of communication, when this ecosystem begins to deviate from basic human values, it reveals the problems and challenges that malicious values, false info, and disinformation could cause within the world info atmosphere. In such circumstances, younger people are significantly inclined to content material that’s formed by AI and circulated on social media platforms.

With the world’s inhabitants ageing rapidly, individuals of all ages are susceptible to being manipulated by false info to which they’re uncovered by synthetic intelligence.

Due to this fact, it’s essential to lift consciousness of digital threats and media literacy. The institution of basic moral ideas to protect susceptible teams from violence, dangerous ideologies, and disinformation has turn into crucial, as has the creation of content material that helps this course of and new social media platforms.

Probably the most urgent points for communicators in the present day is the devaluation of reality. Given AI’s capability to make disinformation extra widespread, it’s clear that AI algorithms have to be humanised as a substitute of making an attempt to minimise human involvement within the media trade.

We must always not permit AI to monopolise the public-facing communication sector. It’s turning into extra broadly acknowledged how essential worldwide collaboration is to managing the profound transformation occurring within the digital sphere. Setting the boundaries for the event and operation of synthetic intelligence inside the parameters of an inclusive strategy is crucial.

It’s essential to undertake world measures to stop using AI applied sciences in disinformation and manipulation assaults which can be supposed to intrude with or undermine the democratic processes and inner affairs of states.

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