PM’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO
THE CENTRE FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH
The following is
the text of the keynote address by the Prime Minister, Shri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee to the Centre for Strategic Research in Turkey
yesterday:
"It is a
great pleasure for me to be here today. I thank the Centre for
Strategic Research for giving me this opportunity to talk to this
impressive gathering of Turkish opinion makers. I would like to
use this occasion to reflect on the contemporary resonances and
future directions of the India-Turkey partnership.
India and Turkey
have had a rich and diverse historical connection. The arrival
of the Turkic people in India changed the course of our history
and led to the brilliant synthesis of Indian and Islamic culture.
The philosophy of Mevlana Jelalettin Rumi found a natural resonance
in the Indian sub-continent where tolerance and a cosmopolitan
approach were already embodied in the sublime traditions of Sufism
and the Bhakti movement.
There was a close
and regular mutual interaction between Indian rulers and the Ottoman
Empire. The activism and ideology of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made
a deep impression on the Indian freedom struggle. The people of
India watched with great sympathy the efforts of the Turkish people
in freeing their country from the grip of imperial power after
the First World War.
Turkey’s extraordinary
success in modernising a traditional and conservative society
was obviously of consuming interest to a newly independent India,
which had many similar problems. This led to growth of mutual
interest in the life and culture of each other. Our two great
civilizational nations, with no history of conflict or contradiction,
were well placed to rapidly expand mutually beneficial ties.
However, the
Cold War intervened, with its distorting equations. Indo-Turkish
relations did not achieve their potential. There was a period
of a few decades in the last century, when the vibrancy of our
contacts and the dynamism of our interaction were somewhat more
subdued.
The process of
rediscovery began again in the mid-eighties of the last century
and, since then, we have progressed in a steady forward direction,
although in somewhat incremental fashion.
Friends,
History is always
an inspiration, but it is contemporary relevance, which sustains
and strengthens international relationships in today’s globalized
world. As post-Cold War India and Turkey look at each other across
a vast Asian landmass, they see that the cultural affinities of
the past have been reinforced by new political convergences and
economic complementarities. It is these that I discussed today
with Prime minister Erdogan, as we attempted to chart out the
blueprint of the India-Turkish partnership for the coming decades.
We have some
obvious shared strengths and commonalities, which are valuable
in today’s world:
- Both our countries are secular
in our philosophy and democratic in our institutions.
- The will of our peoples is embodied
in the supremacy of our Parliaments.
- Our populations are enlightened
and forward-looking.
- Both of us have free and vibrant
media.
- Our economies are growing at a
fast rate.
These commonalities
lead to many obvious convergences of interests and objectives.
I will particularly emphasize six of them today.
First, terrorism,
which is unquestionably the highest priority on the international
agenda. I come here with fresh memories of brutal terrorist actions
recently carried out in various parts of India. Both Turkey and
India have been victims of terrorism well before 9/11. We have
common perspectives on this issue. We agree that there can be
no double standards in identifying or fighting terrorism. We do
not accept the dangerous logic of "root causes" as excuses
for inaction against terrorism. Today, the world faces the real
and frightening danger of weapons of mass destruction falling
into the hands of terrorists. We agree that strong international
cooperation is needed to tackle this problem. Turkey and India
have collaborated with each other at international fora on combating
terrorism. We can expand this cooperation and give it greater
practical shape. For this purpose, we have set up a Joint Working
Group on Terrorism, which will also forge closer cooperation between
the security and law enforcement agencies of our two countries.
Second, as we look
beyond terrorism, we recognize our common stake in the development
of a just and equitable international order. We need to ensure
that all countries play their deserved role in the emergence of
a cooperative multi-polar world order, in which their interests
and aspirations are given due consideration. Mulilateral Institutions
have recently come under considerable criticism and strain. Many
of them have become ineffective, while others have virtually been
paralysed. Most Importantly, the functioning of the United Nations
and its various agencies has been less than optimal. India and
Turkey can work together for the reform of these institutions
to make them more relevant and responsive to taday’s world realities.
Third, as developing
economies, India and Turkey have a natural interest in seeing
a more equitable spread in the benefits from free trade in goods
and services. With our large rural populations, we are particularly
interested in removing distortions and inequites in the regime
for exports of agricultural commodities. The failure of Cancun
WTO Ministerial Meeting summit illustrates that those who lecture
us on immediate sacrifices for long-term gains are not willing
to follow their own prescriptions. If developing countries are
to hold out for a more open and non-discriminatory global trade
regime, India and Turkey should coordinate their positions with
other like-minded countries. We can also work together on other
key global issues like the environment and sustainable development.
Fourth, economic
development is crucial for our people. It is in this area that
we need to devote maximum attention. Turkey has state-of-the-art
expertise in infrastructure construction and development. India
is undertaking several ambitious infrastructure development projects,
including the biggest highway project in the world – the construction
of 13,000 kilometres of four-lane roads across the length and
breadth of our vast country. Clearly, cooperation in this sector
has great promise for our future cooperation. There are virtually
an uncountable number of other such complementary strengths of
our two economies, including power, telecom, tourism, health and
education. We have to aggressively seek them out to be aware of
them and to exploit them.
Fifth, both our countries
have attached great importance to science & technology as
important catalysts of their development process. Technology drives
the knowledge economy, which is at the heart of the globalisation
process. It also accelerates the transition from one stage of
development to the next. India and Turkey have global scientific
traditions. It is natural that we should enhance our linkages
in this area. India’s growing strengths in agriculture, Information
Technology, biotechnology, space sciences and civilian nuclear
power are well recognized. Companies around the world are outsourcing
their research to Indian laboratories and institutions. India
is also emerging as a world-class centre for health care.
Collaboration in
these areas can be a significant force multiplier for our economic
cooperation. We have to pursue it with a sense of purpose.
Sixth, and certainly
not the least, there is an important role, which India and Turkey
can play in maintaining regional peace and stability. We do not
share physical borders, but we do have a vast common extended
neighbourhood – in Central Asia, West Asia and the Gulf. It is
of even greater significance that, while our interests overlap
in this area, nowhere do they clash. We are already building partnership
in the regions of mutual interest. Indian and Turkish companies
are collaborating on the construction of an oil pipeline in Central
Asia and in the prospecting for oil in North Africa.
We are in the process
of building a more comprehensive dialogue architecture, which
would enable regular exchanges of views and perspectives, and
coordination of action on matters of mutual concern. One needs
only to glance at a map of Asia to see that there are areas of
common concern, developments of shared interest and projects of
mutual advantage where India and Turkey could act together. Prime
Minister Erdogan and I have decided that our Foreign Ministers
will meet more regularly, and our other Ministers would also keep
in touch. This would ensure that we remain aware at all times
of the opportunities for cooperation in bilateral, regional or
global subjects.
Friends,
I have only outlined
the promise, which the India-Turkish relationship holds out for
our two peoples in this 21st century. It is a practical
vision, based on objective realities. As Turkey and India step
forward together, it would be a cooperation of two civilizations,
gaining from their ancient wisdom, building on their current strengths,
and driven by their common objectives. Enhanced engagement between
India and Turkey is in the interests of regional and global peace
and cooperation.
We have had such
opportunities before for coming together more closely. In a fast
moving world, opportunities do not linger. We should seize this
moment and move swiftly to implement the decisions that have been
taken during this visit of mine.
Addressing the task
of Turkish nation-building over 70 years ago, Kemal Ataturk urged
that action should be taken, not according to the lax mentality
of past centuries, but as per the speed and movement of the current
century. That exhortation seems just as valid in the context of
India-Turkey cooperation.
Thank you."
