Duran: “The world needs builders of a new world, not victors of a new war”

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Communications Directorate of the Turkish Presidency, has said that the world needs builders of a new world, not victors of a new war.

TodayPress TV reports that he made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the 10th TRT World Forum, held at the Istanbul Congress Center under the theme “A World Without a Centre: Who Will Lead When Rules Fail?”

In his speech, Duran thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for attending the forum, which focuses on pressing issues concerning the world order.

He said that, as in previous years, the TRT World Forum had brought together representatives of different regions, cultures and intellectual traditions from around the world. He expressed hope that this year’s gathering, which has become an international brand thanks to Erdoğan’s vision, would create new opportunities to discuss humanity’s shared future.

Duran noted that the international system was facing a deep structural crisis and a shift in centres of power. As the number of influential players increases, common rules are weakening, while intensifying global competition is undermining the sense of collective responsibility.

He stressed that opportunities for peace were diminishing in the modern world, while the risks of conventional wars and proxy conflicts were increasing. In addition, the struggle for dominance in artificial intelligence and digital technologies was reshaping power relations.

According to the head of the Communications Directorate, technofascism also increases the risk of technologies becoming instruments of domination and control.

“Threats are becoming global, while decisions remain national”

Duran said that international organisations were gradually losing their effectiveness amid these challenges.

He also pointed out that the number of problems requiring global solidarity was increasing, including the climate crisis, migration, epidemics and food security.

Duran cited the situation in Gaza as the clearest example of the international system’s structural crisis. According to him, developments there demonstrate that the international community is unable not only to prevent crises but also to protect peace, justice and human dignity.

He added that the weakening of the existing world order also creates opportunities to establish a fairer international system.

Duran further said that the current international situation resembled the period between the two world wars. During that time, he noted, competition among major powers intensified, economic protectionism spread and international organisations lost their effectiveness.

“We are living in a period when the possibility of a third world war is being discussed. But are we destined to experience the same historical period once again? Can we not achieve the determination to rebuild that emerged in 1945 without first experiencing the catastrophe of 1939? This is precisely the key question we will seek to answer at this forum. Under the leadership of our President, our answer is absolutely clear: history is not destined to repeat itself”,- Duran said.

“We propose constructive pluralism based on building a new international order”

According to the Turkish official, negotiations following large-scale destruction may become an unavoidable necessity, whereas reaching new agreements before a catastrophe occurs requires political will.

“The world needs builders of a new world, not victors of a new war. Carrying out in peacetime the institutional renewal that was only possible after a major war in the past is the most important political test of our era”- he stressed.

Duran noted that Türkiye had been advocating precisely this approach for nearly a quarter of a century under President Erdoğan’s leadership.

He recalled that the slogan “The world is bigger than five” reflects Ankara’s position on inadequate representation and injustice in the international system, while the call for “A fairer world is possible” expresses its desire to establish a new world order.

According to him, Türkiye believes that stabilising a decentralising world should not be based on creating a new dominant centre of power, but rather on bringing different centres of power together around the principles of shared responsibility and law.

Duran stressed that Ankara supports constructive pluralism, which envisages a more balanced distribution of power, broader representation and the establishment of an international order based on shared responsibility.

The head of the Communications Directorate also said that the need for reforms, previously postponed, could no longer be ignored. He assured that Türkiye would continue contributing to this historic task through its political will and strategic vision.

At the end of his speech, Duran addressed the importance of strengthening the intellectual and institutional foundations of diplomacy. He noted that forum diplomacy, developed by the Presidential Communications Directorate, complements summit diplomacy.

According to him, the STRATCOM summits held annually in Istanbul bring together participants in discussions that shape the international agenda in the fields of communications and security.

In addition, within the framework of the NATO summit, the “Allies in Ankara” programme, dedicated to the future of global security, was organised in cooperation with the Munich Security Conference and the SETA Foundation.

The Turkic World Dialogue Forum, dedicated to the shared future of Turkic peoples, was also held on the sidelines of the Organisation of Turkic States summit.

Duran added that a similar forum is planned to be held next month as part of the Türkiye-Africa Summit.

Gultac Mehdizade