The fire in Gaza is slowly coming to Turkey.

The 9th International Middle East Symposium organized by Istanbul Gelişim University took place this year under the title “New Geopolitical Breakdowns and Sovereignty Issues in the Middle East.” In the symposium, where many experts from the Middle East geography participated, Prof. Dr. Şenol Durgun expressed that the fire in the Middle East is gradually approaching Turkey.

The IX. International Middle East Symposium organized by the Political and Social Research Application and Research Center of Istanbul Gelişim University (İGÜSAM) brought together many academics, researchers, and experts from the region. The symposium, which took place on October 15-16 and focused on “New Geopolitical Breakdowns and Sovereignty Issues in the Middle East,” featured opening speeches by Dr. Ali Semin, Executive Director of MOKHA, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Zekrallah, President of UMAM, and Dr. Emre Gündoğdu, Symposium Coordinator.

Dr. Emre Gündoğdu from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences of İGÜ stated that with this symposium, they aimed to discuss the economic, social, and political crises in the Middle East geography and find solutions to these problems. He said, “We have created an environment for rich participation, especially from scientists in the Middle East, and established a ground for discussion. This event is a scientific activity we have presented to develop various solutions to the problems in the Middle East, especially the crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Palestine and Israel’s occupation of Lebanon.”

“The hypocrisy of the West is shameful”

Criticizing the West’s indifference to Israel’s massacre in Palestine, Gündoğdu stated, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. We see that the stance of the Western world regarding Palestine is not at the same level as its stance on other issues. The countries of the United States and the European Union, which claim to be the locomotive on issues such as equality, human rights, and the rule of law, turn their backs on this issue when it comes to the massacres committed by Israel in Palestine, as if no crimes against humanity are being committed there, and they try to sweep the issue under the rug. This is hypocrisy and a shameful situation.”

Prof. Dr. Şenol Durgun, a faculty member at Istanbul Gelişim University and Director of İGÜ Political and Social Research Application and Research Center, emphasized that the issues in the region are being addressed by the people of that geography through the International Middle East Symposium, explaining the potential impact of the turmoil in the Middle East on Turkey:

“The fire next door can burn us too”

“The fire next door can burn us too. Since 1948, with the establishment of the state of Israel, we have been experiencing such a problem. The region is restless, in chaos and disorder. This cannot be explained solely by the existence of Israel. It was Britain and Western powers that placed Israel in the region. In the 20th century, the United States has taken on this role more. We see that after the end of the bipolar world order, the globalization pursued by the United States is actually a policy of Americanization that aims for this region to be unstable, lawless, and uncertain. This is also a policy to establish hegemony here. Of course, it will have an impact on Turkey. This fire is gradually coming towards us. What we call Hamas has now spread to Lebanon; in fact, according to the latest news, Israel has deployed troops to a district in Syria. We see that Israel is gradually expanding its operational area. This region is not a distant area for us. There is an approaching danger. The fire is growing, and it is very likely that it will leap to us as well. This policy will spill over to us, directly or indirectly.”

“I hope it leads to the awakening of the peoples in the Middle East”

Prof. Dr. Necmettin Maraşlı, Vice-Rector of İGÜ, stated that they aimed to present different perspectives on solving the problems in the Middle East with the symposium, saying, “I believe that the symposium will contribute to the solution of the current problems in the Middle East. This is especially a matter of great prestige for our university. I hope it will continue in the next conference as well. I wish the symposium to be a means for the awakening of the peoples in the Middle East and I believe that future solutions will be in that direction.”