“We have never been this close to a clash of civilizations; this is a warning for humanity,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday in Portugal.
He was addressing a forum for the Alliance of Civilizations, which Türkiye formed with Spain. The top diplomat of the country that is pursuing a diplomatic blitz for mediation in two major ongoing conflicts said the world should grow resistant to excluding, intolerant policies and respect other faiths and cultures.
“We cannot accept any form of discrimination,” he told the 10th Global Forum of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Portugal’s Cascais. The forum is taking place with the theme of “United in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future” on Nov. 25-27.
He warned that hatred is intentionally being fueled while extremism, xenophobia and racism are also on the rise worldwide, and noted that Israel’s genocide against Palestinians is the “worst of these problems.”
“The more we keep silent, the more fragmentation in the international system will occur,” he added.
Stressing the civilian deaths in Gaza due to Israel’s relentless attacks for 14 months, Fidan said there would be no peace on the horizon as long as hunger, deprivation and death continue in Gaza. He underlined that countries supporting the Alliance of Civilizations and its essential values cannot remain silent in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
“That’s why we have countries seeking peace in Palestine here today, not those who cannot even pronounce the word cease-fire,” he said.
“Those lecturing us while disrespecting international law and universal values are not here today because this is an alliance of peace,” he added.
Dedicated to the 20th anniversary of establishing the Alliance of Civilizations, the forum will discuss concrete steps the international community must take to address challenges that threaten global peace and security, such as racism, discrimination, xenophobia and Islamophobia.
Türkiye has been a co-host of the forum with Spain since 2005.
Fidan said his country was ready to provide strong support to end the vicious cycle of misperception, hatred, violence and conflict and to build peace through dialogue.
“The Alliance of Civilizations aimed to become a collective response to separatist, devastating movements. We need it more than ever now as global order is in the process of fragmentation, and the hatred is being fueled,” he said, pointing out the rise in xenophobia and racism.
The UNAOC benefits from the political support of the Group of Friends, which is a community of countries and international organizations that actively promotes the alliance’s objectives and work at the global, regional and local levels. The Group of Friends plays a vital role in UNAOC’s strategic planning and implementation processes. Through a broad dialogue-based and consensus-building approach, the High Representative for UNAOC seeks the input, advice and support of members of the Group of Friends on all key aspects of UNAOC’s activities and its mandate. The 10th UNAOC Global Forum is expected to conclude by adopting the Cascais Declaration. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UNAOC High Representative Miguel Angel Moratinos, King Felipe VI of Spain and delegates from other member states were in attendance.
In his remarks to the forum on Tuesday, Guterres thanked the governments of Spain and Türkiye for leading the initiative. “We see a groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, with social media being exploited as a powerful weapon. And everywhere, tensions are mounting. Human rights are under attack. The climate crisis keeps worsening. Sectarianism – of all kinds – is proliferating. Conflicts and wars are fueling and accentuating each of these threats. In these times, we need peace. Above all, peace,” he said.
“Peace in Ukraine is just in line with the U.N. Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions. Peace in Gaza, with an immediate cease-fire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the effective and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, and the beginning of an irreversible process toward a two-state solution. Peace in Lebanon, with an immediate cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council resolutions. Peace in Sudan, with all parties silencing their guns and committing to a path towards sustainable peace,” he stated.
“Everywhere, we must uphold the values of the U.N. Charter and international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states,” he added.