ISTANBUL - Important developments took place in the Middle East which also concerned the future of Turkey, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, Chief of Turkish General Staff, said on Thursday.
Gen. Buyukanit made opening remarks of an international symposium on the future of the Middle East organized by General Staff's Strategic Research and Study Center in Ankara. 124 experts from 52 countries are attending the symposium.
"Iraq have experienced two wars in the past 15 years and important developments have taken place that also concerned the future of Turkey. Problems in the Middle East severely affect the world peace and stability," he stated.
A struggle to control energy sources (in the region) could be considered the most important element which made the region instable, Gen. Buyukanit said.
Energy needs of countries have been increasing gradually and the Middle East possesses 55 percent of the world's oil and 40 percent of the world's natural gas, Buyukanit said. "Even these figures give us an idea of the reason why there is instability in the Middle East," he said.
There have been new threats and risks which appeared as regional and ethnic clashes, political and economic instabilities, weapons of mass destruction, fundamentalism, drug smuggling, weapon smuggling and international terror, he said.
Turkey --located in the region where Europe and Asia met-- was in the middle of these issues, Gen. Buyukanit said.
(EÖ-MS)
(GEN)