Minster of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Hulusi Akar and his delegation visited the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) on December 27, 2021. He was the honorable guest and the keynote speaker at the conference on the current geopolitical issues around the world.
The welcoming speech was given by the Rector of the International University of Sarajevo, Prof.Dr. Ahmet Yıldrım. Prof. Yıldrım welcomed the guests and expressed his gratitude to have such an honorable guest as Mr. Akar as well as all the other guests who attended the conference.
The Minister of National Defense, Mr. Hulusi Akar addressed the audience and said that it was his pleasure to be at IUS with such a respected group of scholars and students. He also emphasized that one of the most important factors is building a good education system. Another issue that he focused on were the ties between BiH and Turkey underlining the historically good relations and the common culture and history. The Minister highlighted that the interest of Turkey is the stability of the Balkans as well as the political unity, stability and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Minister continued by stating that the current efforts of Turkey are pursuing steps towards a fairer world and fight against terrorism. He said that terrorism is one of the biggest challenges the world is faced with. Mr. Akar urged friends and allies to support Turkey in its fight against terrorist organizations and that the only goal of Turkey is to target and suppress terrorism.
Minister Akar carried on with his remarks on the current geopolitical issues in the world. As of 2011, Turkey has been actively participating in the fight against terrorism in Syria by supporting a united and stable Syria. Turkey has also become the largest refugee hosting country by welcoming millions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Turkey has also provided support to the people of Azerbaijan and Libya and strives to help them build and maintain their integrity and stability. In addition, Mr. Akar pointed out that Turkey has assisted in supporting peace and stability of the Black Sea region. When it comes to Afghanistan, Turkey has participated in NATO missions as of 2002 and provided its support in the peace efforts in the country. The turmoil in the Eastern Mediterranean region is something Turkey wants to resolve peacefully because of its friendly ties to its neighbor, Greece.
In the end, the Minister emphasized that Turkey is not a threat to any country. He stated that Turkey has no aspirations towards any country and pointed out that his country is capable of protecting its interests and rights. Mr. Akar concluded his speech by stating that Turkey works not only for its own peace but for the peace and stability of its friendly and brotherly countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The conference was attended by numerous distinguished guests, such as the Chairman of the Foundation for Education Development Sarajevo, Mr. Hasan Topaloğlu, IUS Board of Trustees representatives, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Sadık Babur Girgin, the Minister of Education of Canton Sarajevo, Ms. Naida Hota Muminović, the member of the Board of Trustees of Maarif Foundation, Mr. Mahmut Özdil, Military Attaché, Mr. Mustafa Sıtkı Tatar and other distinguished guests.
The IUS Rector presented a token of appreciation to the Minister in memory of his visit to IUS.
