THE MARMARA GROUP FOUNDATION IS A SMALL-SCALE EXAMPLE OF GLOBALISATION

The Marmara Group Foundation has continued its work as an initiative for peace and dialogue since 1985.

Guided by the philosophy of civil thought, the Foundation seeks common solutions to shared problems. It organises campaigns, contributes to public debate and encourages decision-making bodies to respond to the expectations of society. In this sense, it is one of the new geopolitical actors of globalisation.

The Foundation is recognised within the international civil initiative community and forms part of today's system of international relations. It regards participation as an important intellectual dimension of social change and believes that participation is a fundamental principle of both globalisation and democracy.

Long before the term globalisation entered common use, United Nations Economic and Social Council Resolution 288-B of 27 February 1950 recognised that non-governmental organisations could contribute to the work of the United Nations. Today, civil initiatives transcend ethnic and national borders and play an active role in economic, political, social, cultural and communications affairs.

Civil society organisations may be considered in two broad groups: those that are active within a particular country, and those whose international activities can influence domestic and global issues across several countries. International organisations frequently work in areas such as humanitarian assistance, human rights, the environment and economic integration.

As connections among people increase across the world, technological, cultural, intellectual and communications links also grow. Civil society organisations have therefore become indispensable participants in international affairs. Their campaigns can influence government policies and have helped reshape the traditional meaning of state sovereignty.

Global threats must be addressed through serious international approaches, scientific knowledge and the universal values of civil thought. Such an approach can make civil society more effective, responsible and accountable.

Governance once meant that the state alone established the rules. In a more interconnected world, however, participation and the views of civil society increasingly affect public decision-making. Democratic governance requires openness, transparency and accountability. It is democratic only when the state shares the decision-making process with society and when citizens can participate in decisions that affect them.

For this to become a lasting reality, citizens must understand the conditions in which they live and recognise themselves as responsible individuals. Civil society organisations seeking a more democratic form of globalisation must strengthen their institutions, expand their knowledge and invest in education.

MORE DIALOGUE

More dialogue, more trade, more contact and greater mutual acceptance will bring stability to our region. Global thought acquires meaning when dialogue becomes one of its essential dimensions.

Trade grows through dialogue. Prosperity is created through dialogue. Peace cannot be achieved without welfare, economic development and cooperation.

We must patiently and persistently ask how people can live together and how we can build a wealthier, happier and more compassionate region. Without confining ourselves to narrow ideas, we should seek stability in a democratic, free and sincere environment shaped by dialogue.

For peace and coexistence, what we need is dialogue—and more dialogue.

WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO PEACE

For the Marmara Group Foundation, peace comes before everything else when considering the future of humanity. We remain guided by Atatürk's principle: “Peace at home, peace in the world.”

This principle helped Türkiye first secure its independence and later establish a modern social order at home and earn respect within the international community. Its domestic dimension gives states the responsibility to build contemporary political, economic and social structures. Lasting peace at home can be achieved only in this way.

Its international dimension places two particular responsibilities upon states: respect for law and contribution to regional and international cooperation. Respect for international law is a fundamental condition of peace. Although international law continues to develop, states and international institutions share responsibility for strengthening it and resolving disputes through lawful means.

Participation in regional and international cooperation for peace is also a responsibility of civil society. Civil society organisations, like states, must contribute to institutions and initiatives created to protect peace.

THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMITS MAKE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION ON THE ROAD TO PEACE

We believe that peace can endure only where prosperity exists. Prosperity depends on trade and cooperation with neighbouring countries. By examining both the strengths and weaknesses of developing commercial relations, we seek to demonstrate and encourage the benefits available to all parties.

Constructive efforts to overcome present difficulties can reveal considerable untapped potential. We firmly believe that the Eurasian Economic Summits organised by the Marmara Group Foundation contribute significantly to cooperation among countries.

Through our dialogue activities, we have held intensive and productive discussions with representatives of many countries. As a civil society organisation, we believe there is substantial potential to deepen international cooperation through dialogue, consultation and mutual understanding.

THE EUROPEAN UNION IS THE PROJECT OF OUR AGE

The Marmara Group Foundation has consistently supported the process of European integration. It is committed to European values and standards and hopes that Türkiye will renew the reforms that bring it closer to the European Union.

The European idea emerged after the Second World War as a means of creating integration, protecting multiculturalism and building lasting peace. The European Union was rightly awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize as a project of peace and prosperity.

We regard the European Union as one of the defining projects of the century and Türkiye's European perspective as an indispensable principle. The Union currently represents continental integration; Türkiye's membership would give this project a stronger global dimension.

Türkiye's accession would bring European values and the resources of Asia together through a synthesis of East and West. As a peace project shaped around universal values, the European Union would strengthen its contribution to world peace and its role as a global actor.

Multiculturalism and tolerance are among the central challenges of our age. They are both a source of richness and an area requiring care, understanding and dialogue. Türkiye needs Europe, and Europe also needs Türkiye.

RELATIONS BETWEEN TÜRKİYE AND AZERBAIJAN ARE EXEMPLARY

The bilateral relationship between Türkiye and Azerbaijan is an important foundation for peace in the Caucasus. The unity and solidarity between the two countries are exemplary and are reflected in political, military, economic, cultural and commercial cooperation.

Major projects such as TANAP, the Southern Gas Corridor, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway demonstrate the strategic importance of this cooperation. These projects strengthen energy security, regional connectivity and the shared economic future of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, the Balkans and Europe.

The two countries view each other's achievements as their own and work together as friends and sister nations. Their continued partnership offers an important model of cooperation for the Caucasus.

THE SILK ROAD IS A PHILOSOPHY

The Marmara Group Foundation attaches great importance to relations with the People's Republic of China and has made more than twenty official visits to China.

The Foundation signed a partnership agreement with the China Foundation for Human Rights Development on 11 April 2012 and a cooperation agreement with the China Association for International Friendly Contact on 8 April 2013. It has also developed civil society cooperation with the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament.

Chinese delegations have regularly participated in the Eurasian Economic Summits. Representatives of the Foundation have also attended international meetings, Belt and Road events and civil society forums in China, presenting Türkiye's economy, civil society perspective and potential for closer cooperation.

We regard the revival of the Silk Road—also described as the Iron Silk Road—as much more than a transport project. It is a philosophy of friendship, peace, mutual benefit, trust, equality, tolerance and shared experience.

A renewed Silk Road can connect the Pacific Ocean with the Baltic Sea, strengthen Central Asia's links with the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, facilitate trade and investment, and create new opportunities for long-term good-neighbourly relations.

We believe that cooperation based on partnership and shared responsibility can improve the speed and quality of regional economic exchange and generate common benefits across Europe and Asia.

BALKAN UNITY IS A SOURCE OF EUROPEAN STABILITY

For many years, the Marmara Group Foundation has worked carefully and consistently on Balkan affairs. Peace, stability and lasting prosperity in the Balkans are among the Foundation's central values.

The region is distinguished by its religious, linguistic and cultural diversity. Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Islam and Judaism coexist alongside numerous communities and traditions. Turkish, Bosnian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek, Albanian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Slovenian, Croatian and English form part of the region's shared richness.

Maintaining unity in such a diverse geography is not easy, yet history shows that coexistence is possible. What matters today is finding a way for people of different faiths, languages, flags and passports to preserve mutual respect.

That way is dialogue. Only sustainable dialogue can help societies move beyond the conflicts and dead ends of the past and embrace the future through hope, understanding and reconciliation.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A MAJOR ISSUE OF OUR AGE

Another important field of concern is the effective fight against irregular migration. The rights and dignity of migrants must be protected, while the social and economic consequences of involuntary and uncontrolled migration must also be addressed responsibly.

People may leave their countries in search of better living conditions, to escape terrorism or to survive war. Yet criminal networks have turned human vulnerability into a form of modern slavery. Human trafficking has become an illicit trade comparable in seriousness to narcotics trafficking. The Marmara Group Foundation therefore supports close monitoring of irregular migration, international cooperation and policies centred on human dignity and security.