Experts discuss conflict resolution and peacebuilding at TRT World Forum

ISTANBUL

Experts discussed today's multipolar and conflict-ridden world and how to maintain peace as part of a session of the Turkish national broadcaster TRT's World Forum on Saturday.

Speaking at the Conflict Resolution and Peace Building: Shaping the Future of Global Leadership session, Burhanettin Duran, the general coordinator of the Ankara-based think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), said Türkiye has developed "significant capabilities" to solve conflicts surrounding the country "out of necessity."

Noting that the new security architecture needs reconsideration, he said Türkiye has established a good relationship with both Russia and Ukraine.

"To build that trust, confidence on both sides is something you should set before the conflict," he said. "Both Russia and Ukraine know Türkiye is a trustable country. This shows we need new ideas for multilateralism."

Toivo Klaar, the EU's special representative to the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, said there is "real desire and opportunity for peace."

"But after 30 years of conflict, it takes a lot to build trust," Klaar said, referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Regarding Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said the EU has worked "extensively" to build trust, but it needs "a lot more."

"Leadership is essential from both Yerevan and Baku. It’s not just about having leaders, it’s about bringing the populations and societies together," he added.

For her part, Raghida Dergham, the founder of the think tank Beirut Institute, discussed the situation in Lebanon, saying the country's leadership "is horrible and corrupt."

"The country is a victim of proxy wars," Dergham said.

The TRT World Forum 2022, a two-day annual event, started in Istanbul on Friday.

The gathering, this year held under the theme of Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities and Opportunities, brings together academics, journalists, intellectuals, politicians, and members of civil society from around the globe.

Nearly 100 speakers and over 1,000 participants from nearly 40 countries are attending the forum, according to Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, the director-general of TRT.

The forum features sessions on various subjects, such as the Moscow-Kyiv war, global migration, and the energy crisis, as well as disinformation.