Egemen Bagis, former Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator said, “ We have come from Central Asia but always headed West. Vienna, which we have surroundered for three times, became ‘Red Apple’ for us. We have always wanted to go West.”
Istanbul Aydin University initiated the first think tank in western studies titled ‘ Platform for Western
Studies’, a subsidiary of Occidental Studies Applied Research Center of the university.
The Center, with the aim to create and analyze knowledge, was established to understand and know the West. Founding members of the Center includes academicians as well as former ministers, members of the parliament, authors and representatives of various religious groups.
IAU president Dr. Mustafa Aydin said, “ It is seen rarely in the world that the West, besides the West we know, conducts works in academic level. This might be the first time. Importance of Batı
Platformu ( Platform for Western Studies) will be seen very soon,” during the meeting.
Introductory meeting of the platform took place with a session titled ‘What is West Telling Us?’ The participants to the meeting included: IAU president Dr. Mustafa Aydin, former Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, Union of Istanbul Bosphorus Municipalities president Ahmet Misbah Demircan and many academicians.
Speaking at the platform Dr. Mustafa Aydin expressed, “ Our objective is to contribute to our nation and state and lead the way for the next generation. We established the platform to review the subject by putting the West on the table. Bati Platformu, established by Istanbul Aydin University to do their part of the responsibility to contribute to the knowledge of the region where it is established, is an important establishment to enrich the Western thought.”
“ We Wanted Go West”
Speaking at the meeting, Egemen Bagis, former Minister for EU, emphasized that Turkey needs to give the same importance to the West and the East and added, “ I have been the chief negotiator for EU Affairs for 5 years. I have asked myself this along the way: Are we really Western or European? I have come to conclusion that we are neither western nor eastern (oriental), neither southern nor northern. We are on a cross road. We have been a bridge between demand and supply from Silk Road to tobacco and energy resources. In certain times of the history, our eastern side came to the forefront and sometimes our western side did. We are still going through the same reciprocate. If we are a bridge in this geography, we must have four strong legs. So our Northern- Southern- Western- Eastern legs must be very strong. A Turkish citizen was appointed as Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation during when Turkey was able to obtain a date for negotiations with the EU after almost fifty years. When you are strong in the West, you are strong in the East. We have come from the Central Asia but always headed West. Vienna, which we surroundered for three times, became ‘Red Apple’ for us. We have always wanted to go West.”
