French Parliament's Decision Discussed at the Diplomat School

The Diplomat School, organized for the 3rd time this year by the School of Government and Leadership, has come to an end.

The 6th week of the Diplomat School was held with the participation of Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences Head of the Department of International Relations Prof. Dr. Faruk Sönmezoğlu; Bahçeşehir University faculty member Prof. Dr. Eser Karakaş; TÜSİAD International Coordinator (Brussels) and President of the Paris Bosphorus Institute Dr. Bahadır Kaleağası; Head of the Bahçeşehir University School of Government and Leadership Assist. Prof. Dr. Burak Küntay and Yeditepe University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Public Administration faculty member Assist. Prof. Dr. Deniz Tansi.

In addition to topics such as Foreign Policy Making, Its Elements and Turkish Foreign Policy; Economy and Foreign Policy in the G-20 World; and the Problem of Terrorism in the Middle East after the US Invasion, the French Parliament's decision, which set Türkiye's agenda over the past week, was also discussed.

Highlights from the meetings are as follows:

Prof. Dr. Faruk Sönmezoğlu:
"First, countries have objectives based on their priorities, founding philosophies or geographies. These objectives have no absolute order. Second, there are certain strategies for achieving objectives. Different strategies can be used to achieve one objective. Third, it is very important to distinguish which tools will be used to implement these strategies. According to these categories, the primary objective of countries in general is to protect the natural mechanism of the state and to sustain its existence. The second important objective is security; unlike political borders, security is used in many fields today, covering many areas from energy to the protection and proper implementation of human rights."

Prof. Dr. Eser Karakaş:
"With this law, Sarkozy has shown his voters that he passed a law against Türkiye; and when the constitutional court annuls it, this absurd decision will be prevented from being implemented. Sarkozy, who wants to kill two birds with one stone, will have achieved a political gain and, when the constitutional court annuls the decision, this law will never have entered into force because of the system of prior review in France. Reminding others of what happened in Algeria means saying, 'we did it, but so did you.' Moreover, in France you can find films and books on the Algerian events from every perspective. In Türkiye, there should be no legal or social obstacles to a publication outside the state's view."

Dr. Bahadır Kaleağası:
"Trade emerges as the fundamental determinant of international relations. Transatlantic trade relations have developed from North America to Europe, and from Japan and China to the whole world. Cities and the metro are a symbol of modernity, movement and population density. The internet is creating a new world. The internet, e-commerce and e-services have become part of how we view the world. Political, economic and cultural ideas circulate rapidly around the world. This creates a map of freedom. However, freedom here also means entrepreneurship, creativity, economy, trade and rising brand value. In terms of press freedom, the more ideas that will move society forward are on the agenda, the better."

Assist. Prof. Dr. Deniz Tansi:
"In international relations, there is no eternal friendship or enmity; there are eternal interests. Relations between Israel and the US are at the level of a strategic partnership, and it is unlikely that they will deteriorate fundamentally or be severed completely."

Assist. Prof. Dr. Burak Küntay:
"It is easier for a country to obtain concessions from a dictatorship than from a democracy. There is no such thing as accepting democracy conditionally; either you accept it fully or you don't. There is no love in countries' foreign policies; there are only interests and benefits."