Statement By H.E. Abdullah Gül at OSCE Summit

         Mr. Chairman,

         Excellencies,

         Distinguished Delegates,

         Ladies and Gentlemen,

         As hosts to the last OSCE Summit in Istanbul 11 years ago, it is indeed a great pleasure and distinct privilege to take part in this distinguished forum under the Kazakh Chairmanship.

         This OSCE Summit has been long in coming. I congratulate President Nazarbayev for his visionary leadership in making it a reality.

         This is a unique opportunity to reiterate our common will and resolve to overcome our differences and work together in solidarity. This joint work must be based on our OSCE commitments, to create a qualitatively enhanced cooperative security environment.

         If we prove capable of exhibiting this resolve through our political declaration and giving guidance to our future work at the end of our deliberations here in Astana, this unique Summit will have served its goals and purposes.

         Mr. Chairman,  

         At the Istanbul Summit in 1999 we reaffirmed the OSCE as a primary organization for the peaceful settlement of disputes within its region.

         Despite ongoing efforts, the protracted conflicts remain unresolved, undermining the OSCE’s credibility.

         It is incumbent upon us to make the Astana Summit a turning point in the way we address the protracted conflicts. We should manifest our resolve to utilize the instruments at our disposal and to transform our commitments into deeds.

         On its part, Turkey will continue to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan on the basis of their unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

         The Central Asian States are taking great strides in all spheres.

         The Kazakh Chairmanship is yet another example of the resolve of Central Asian States to play a more active role in charting the future course of the Organization and contributing to shaping the European and Eurasian security environment. 

    Naturally, Central Asia like other regions is not immune to transnational challenges and threats. The OSCE with its institutions and expertise should further contribute to capacity building efforts through its field missions.

         In this vein, beside our strong bilateral engagement, we have supported the deployment of an OSCE Common Security Initiative in Kyrgyzstan by nominating qualified police officers.

         Of course, we cannot speak about the security and stability of Central Asia without equally addressing security and stability in Afghanistan.

         We must explore further options for the OSCE’s contribution to stability in Afghanistan through projects in all dimensions.

         The challenges emanating from Afghanistan cannot be effectively addressed without additional robust regional responses.  The trilateral Summit process launched among Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan seeks to respond to this need.  

         Southeast Europe is another region that has greatly benefited from the Organization’s strong engagement.         

         Kosovo and its peoples continue to require all the support the OSCE can provide, not least through contributing to a constructive dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina.

         Reconciliation is the key to the future of the Balkans which can only be attained through democracy, strong and impartial institutions and economic prosperity. OSCE Missions are best placed to help achieve this end.

         Taking into account the need for further confidence building in the region, Turkey has initiated the establishment of two trilateral consultation mechanisms, namely between Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; and between Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

         Mr. Chairman,

         The advent of a Europe without dividing lines has not diminished the imperatives for addressing inter-state security concerns.

         The full implementation and further development of the OSCE’s politico-military acquis is as important today as in the past.

         In this context, Turkey supports ongoing efforts to update the Vienna Document in 2011.

         Inevitably, the viability of the CFE regime has also great bearing on the European security.

         The preservation of the legally binding regime with all its elements, while modernizing its provisions in order to make it more responsive to present day realities is the basis upon which Turkey will engage in any future negotiations.

Mr. Chairman,

         We should employ all our capabilities and tools to make a long term, lasting impact in combating terrorism, organized crime and all forms of trafficking. Such efforts must go hand in hand with enhancing the OSCE’s good governance activities. 

         The Office of the Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities must be upgraded to the status of an OSCE institution.

         The activities of the Coordinator cut across all three dimensions of the OSCE, with many projects constituting confidence building measures in their own right by bringing communities together and creating economic inter-dependence.

         Migration is one of the aforementioned cross cutting issues which the OSCE needs to address at all levels. Developing multi-dimensional migration policies which acknowledges the inherent dignity of migrants and their positive contributions to the societies they live in should be the starting point.

         Energy security equally constitutes an area where the OSCE can bring added value to the existing international efforts, through providing a platform for broad based political dialogue.  

         Mr. Chairman,

         The dignity of the human being, democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms require constant vigilance, protection and improvement.

         Commemorating the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War this year should make us pause to reflect upon the implications of a subjective or selective interpretation of human rights.

         Recent trends in the rise of xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, discrimination, racism, regardless of their motives or alleged justifications, call for urgent attention and joint action.

         Different perceptions about religion and culture driven by hate, invite the risk of divisions and even conflicts among and within our societies.

         I would encourage all of us gathered here in Astana to take the lead in our respective countries in combating these phenomena actively and by speaking out against all forms of hate speech.

         As the current chair of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Turkey will pay particular attention to this topic.

         The culture of cooperative dialogue and spirit of solidarity in addressing common challenges are the foundation upon which we have built our interaction with our Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Cooperation.

         In this vein, we condemn the recent artillery attack by North Korea against a South Korean island and call for full compliance with the terms of the armistice.

         Here, I should also like to welcome Australia as our most recent Asian Partner. This outreach serves as the best model for partnerships across vast expanses in the service of global security.

         The relationship between the OSCE and its Partners for Cooperation needs to transcend the narrower confines of dialogue and become more operational.

         Mr. Chairman,

         In closing my remarks, I wish to convey my thanks to President Nazarbayev, for his inspiring leadership.

         I would also like to avail myself of this opportunity to thank the Secretary General for his strong commitment and contributions to the work of the Organization.

         We look forward to the early commencement of a transparent election process as the Secretariat prepares for the changing of the guard next year.

         Turkey has nominated a qualified candidate. I wish to thank those countries who have already pledged their early support to our candidate.  

         Finally, we wish incoming Chairmen Lithuania and Ireland the best of success and in turn, pledge our full support to their Chairmanships. We also congratulate Ukraine on their successful bid for the Chairmanship in 2013.

         Thank you.