Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay and the Chairman of the Strategic Research Centre (SAM) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nuh Yılmaz, met with 400 students from Turkish universities as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay commented on Israel's attacks on Palestine, stating, "We are recording the events to ensure they are not forgotten. Turkey is the most honest country in this regard. We are looking at the situation both from a humanitarian perspective and from the perspective of international law. We maintain our determined stance."

In their meeting with 400 students from Turkish universities during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Bozay and SAM Chairman Nuh Yılmaz shared insights.

Mehmet Kemal Bozay mentioned in his speech that he had served in regions of the former Ottoman geography, such as Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, the USA, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Bozay relayed a description of diplomacy by Salih Münir Pasha, a diplomat from the Ottoman era, as "the ability to recognise friends and foes, to determine with which states alliances can be formed for the benefit and safety of the country, to identify how rivals can be overcome, and to take necessary precautions by closely monitoring other states to leverage possible gains or prevent potential losses." He emphasised that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has also given this direction.

Highlighting Turkey's diplomatic tradition that extends from the past to the future, Bozay stated, "A diplomat must correctly identify whom to approach and whom to isolate for the survival and progress of the country. Diplomacy involves accurately assessing the situation to turn the course of events in one's favour, utilising emerging opportunities by setting sails in favourable conditions, and navigating through safe routes in adverse weather."

Bozay assured young people aspiring to be diplomats that their doors are always open, encouraging them with, "You might ask, 'Is there equal opportunity in exams?' You can be 100% sure of that. This is not a profession that can be influenced by personal favours. Therefore, have confidence in yourself."

He advised students to follow the publications of the Strategic Research Centre, think tanks, and exam-oriented courses in their curriculum.

"Turkey is the most honest country on the Palestine issue."

Bozay stated that Turkey has made significant progress in the last 20 years and has reached a strong position in foreign policy despite being in a difficult region.

Addressing Israel's attacks on Palestine, Bozay noted that Turkey has consistently maintained the same determined stance from the beginning.

He stated they are taking steps towards resolving the issue: "A two-state solution for Palestine has been decided but never implemented. There's an ongoing cycle of violence. To stop the events, we need to focus on the legal and justice aspects. We have no proposal other than a two-state solution."

Bozay also covered the humanitarian aspect: "We are recording the events to ensure they are not forgotten. Turkey is the most honest country in this regard. We are looking at the situation both from a humanitarian perspective and from the perspective of international law. We maintain our determined stance."

"We have a broad diplomatic network."

Deputy Minister Bozay expressed their openness to cooperation with every country on global issues, stating that terrorism is a threat to all countries that requires collective action.

"There's no 'your terrorist, my terrorist.' We've seen ISIS affect everyone. We were warning the major countries, 'Following your operations in Iraq, an undefined structure will emerge here.' We saw and understood this. A form of terrorism emerged, backed by other elements," said Bozay, emphasising that foreign policy actions are always taken with Turkey's survival in mind.

Bozay acknowledged that there was a lukewarm reception to Turkey's EU membership, but he also acknowledged that a Turkey-less EU is not feasible.

Bozay mentioned that Turkey has now outgrown its previous position and is capable of intervening in events worldwide, stating they would not allow the EU to say, "Stop, don't do it."

Highlighting that Turkey is rising at a time when wars are happening in neighbouring countries, Bozay said, "We have a broad diplomatic network. We have 360-degree diplomacy. Surrounded by so many problems, we see a bright future ahead with our stability and youth; we need to steer this correctly, with planned and state-seriousness."

"Turkey has a confident diplomacy with an independent and domestic foreign policy"

SAM Chairman Nuh Yılmaz shared that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays a significant role in shaping Turkey's strategy and security policies.

He mentioned that individuals working in such an institution need to possess certain qualities, revealing that they have extended diplomatic training to 5.5 months, incorporating etiquette, writing, cryptography, and analytical training into the programme.

Responding to students' questions, Yılmaz stated that Israel's attacks on Palestine are a universal issue.

He noted the necessity of implementing a two-state solution to provide living space for Palestinians, highlighting Turkey's emphasis on diplomacy in every issue.

Yılmaz concluded, "Turkey has a tradition of confident diplomacy, following an independent and domestic foreign policy."