ISTANBUL
Former defense and foreign ministers from Türkiye, Greece, and Malta, alongside a veteran Turkish diplomat, convened in Istanbul on Friday to debate shifting security dynamics in and around the Mediterranean, as geopolitical rivalry, energy competition and demographic pressures reshape the region.
The discussions took place during "The Great Art Security Conference: Shifting Security Dynamics in and around the Mediterranean" organized by The Great Art Foundation at Bogazici University.
Mehmet Naci Inci, the president of Bogazici University, opened the conference, underscoring the Mediterranean’s growing strategic importance amid global and regional crises, and emphasizing the need for cooperation, sustained diplomatic dialogue and academic engagement.
He highlighted the conference as a timely platform for dialogue at a moment of heightened uncertainty.
Dialogue, equity indispensable: Akar
The panel was moderated by Hulusi Akar, former Turkish national defense minister and current chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.
Akar stressed the central role of universities in shaping future security thinking, noting that "knowledge is born and cultivated in universities" and that education, innovation and technology must be anchored in academic institutions.
Framing the discussion within a volatile global context — from Gaza and Ukraine to technological disruption — Akar said the aim was not to solve every crisis but to "reach a common understanding and to increase situation awareness," while keeping channels of dialogue open.
Turning to regional issues, he described the Eastern Mediterranean as a strategic crossroads where energy security, diplomacy and stability intersect, stressing that Türkiye seeks both to protect its legitimate maritime rights and to promote peace through dialogue.
"Türkiye is not a threat. Türkiye is an ally," he said.
In his closing remarks after the Q&A session, Akar rejected unilateral maritime declarations, saying: "We cannot accept unilateral actions that violate our rights."
He added that maritime disputes must be handled through dialogue and international law, stressing that Türkiye’s maritime positions reflect its official stance and commitment to "equitable and fair sharing of maritime areas."
Akar concluded that maintaining dialogue and seeking equitable solutions remain essential to managing disputes in a region where geopolitical competition, energy interests and demographic change are increasingly intertwined.
International law must be compass: Apostolakis
Former Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis warned that the Eastern Mediterranean is facing sustained instability driven by armed conflicts, energy disputes and shifting alliances, alongside the collapse or weakening of states across the wider region.
He argued that any path forward must be grounded in international law, and should serve as "our compass," including humanitarian law and the law governing aggression.
Apostolakis cautioned against attempts to revise legal status quos, warning that such moves risk broader destabilization.
Energy resources, he said, could become either a source of cooperation or tension depending on whether states adhere to legal frameworks, while migration, demographic pressure, water scarcity and external interventions were compounding insecurity across the Mediterranean and its periphery.
Despite tensions, Apostolakis described Greece and Türkiye as among the more stable actors in the broader region, calling for constructive policies that could help fill regional security gaps and support peace.
‘Demography, power shifts and cooperative security’
Former Maltese Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo took a wider historical and demographic view, urging participants to reflect on humanity’s shared future rather than narrow national interests.
Bartolo emphasized that power imbalances remain a defining feature of international politics, while demographic change — particularly rapid population growth in Africa and decline in Europe — will fundamentally reshape the Mediterranean in coming decades.
He warned that the EU risks strategic irrelevance if it continues to neglect Africa, describing this as "one of the biggest strategic mistakes" facing Europe today.
Bartolo also pointed to the global shift toward Asia in technology and economic growth, citing the rising influence of BRICS economies and China’s leadership in critical technologies, which he said reflects a deeper geopolitical transformation.
Calling for "cooperative security," Bartolo argued that security cannot be reduced to military power alone but must include development, employment, education and social welfare.
Reflecting on the Ukraine war, he said it illustrated the failure to uphold cooperative security principles that once underpinned European stability.
"We are like those ‘United Enemies,’" he said, referring to a sculpture symbolizing humanity’s shared fate. "Whether we are neighbors, friends or enemies, we must find ways of being together."
‘Eastern Mediterranean disputes demand patience and negotiation’
Retired Turkish Ambassador to Qatar Mithat Rende focused on the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy potential and long-standing maritime disputes, describing the region as both an arena of opportunity and a risk zone intensified by the involvement of global powers.
He outlined overlapping maritime claims involving Türkiye, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Libya, arguing that unilateral actions have deepened tensions and complicated energy development.
Rende emphasized that, under international law, maritime boundaries in semi-enclosed seas should be determined through negotiations based on equity and good faith.
Recalling that some maritime delimitation agreements have taken decades to conclude, he urged patience and suggested joint development of energy resources as a pragmatic interim solution if political will exists.
Rende also criticized the exclusion of Türkiye from regional energy frameworks, arguing that inclusive mechanisms are necessary to turn the Eastern Mediterranean’s hydrocarbon wealth into a source of cooperation rather than confrontation.
