Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday that what’s happening in the Middle East today should have happened 20 years ago and he described the change as a return to natural course of history.
Speaking at the "Leaders of Change Summit" that brings together world leaders from Al Gore to Vicente Fox in Istanbul, Davutoglu said that the world would move toward a new global order if leaders approached economic, political and social changes from the right angle.
"The stance to be taken must be a visionary approach by reading the nature of change and preparing for the post-transformation period. This is what Turkey has assumed as a method," Davutoglu told a panel session during the summit.
"I think change in the Middle East is a return to natural course of history. Change has been delayed in the Middle East. In fact, what’s happening in the Middle East should have happened 20 years ago. That change process should have been placed on a right axis 20 years ago," he said.
Davutoglu said that young people, opinion leaders and pioneers of change in the Middle East were trying to become the actors of history.
"What an ordinary young man in Tahrir Square wants is not a luxurious life. They just want to return to history as a notable actor. They only want honor, pride and respect," Davutoglu said.
He went on saying that the would could face bigger explosions 10-20 years later if these people’s choices were not respected.
Davutoglu also said that Turkey should be the driving force of the wind of change in this period.
"Turkey acts with such a goal. Otherwise, Turkey would be one of the worst affected countries from negative outcomes of the wind of change in this region," he said.
Davutoglu added: "What’s going on today is kind of a tsunami, a political earthquake. What we have to do is just like things to be done right after an earthquake. First, we must survive this earthquake with minimum loss. Then, we must contain damages, fix buildings and create a new city. A new order should appear in the region. If we give sudden responses or maintain the status quo, we could experience stronger earthquakes or aftershocks."
"We will integrate with the region," Davutoglu said. "We want to remove all borders in the Middle East and the Balkans. We want peoples to live together as in the past."