On the sixth day of the Second Century Economics Congress, academician and international relations expert Soli Özel spoke about the road map that Turkey should follow in the new process. Özel said, “One should not waste time with daydreaming, and one should not pursue imperial dreams. As Atatürk said, a country that cannot generate power at home cannot have weight abroad and cannot follow an effective foreign policy.
The sixth day of the Second Century Economics Congress, which called on all of Turkey to build the future with the slogan of “Invitation to Innovation” by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, continued with the theme of “Invitation to Loyalty”. Soli Özel, an academic and international relations expert, also spoke at the program at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center (AASSM). Özel made a presentation titled “The Mortar of the National Economy for the New State: İzmir Economy Congress”.
“The message of the congress to the world is the understanding of national economy and the abolition of capitulations”
Reminding that in the opening speech of the Economics Congress, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said that the understanding of national economy would never be abandoned, Özel emphasized his goal of creating a Muslim Turkish business and entrepreneurial class. Referring to the congress process and the Lausanne negotiations, Özel said, “Because it will contribute to development in the congress, it has come to the fore to look warmly at foreign capital. However, the only condition for this was determined as not to harm the sovereignty of the country. In other words, it was emphasized that the capitulations did not need to be abolished. In any case, reconciliation in Lausanne was only possible after this condition was fulfilled. Mustafa Kemal, on the one hand, wants to continue his national economic policies in search of economic dominance, on the other hand, he wants to focus on ensuring the welfare and security of the new state by signing peace with the European great powers and excluding political power centers that are less radical than himself, if possible. He also reads very well the world order in which the new state will take place.
“A country that cannot generate power at home cannot pursue an effective foreign policy”
Referring to the world order that emerged after the First Economics Congress, the relations between countries, the steps taken by Turkey and the political and economic roadmap that should be followed in the new process, Özel said, “It is necessary not to waste time with daydreaming, not to chase imperial dreams, and to read history with objective eyes, not as it passes by heart. I think, or as Gazi said, foreign policy has to be based on internal organization and domestic politics. In other words, it should not be wide enough for the internal organization to withstand. A country that cannot generate power at home cannot have weight abroad and cannot follow an effective foreign policy.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
