Diyarbakir: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has announced that achieving peace and stability in Syria and Iraq would herald a new era of development and prosperity for the region’s nations, free from the cycle of wars and violence. Speaking at the “Turkey Centennial Encounters” program held at the Justice and Development Party headquarters in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, Fidan highlighted the economic implications of stability, particularly for Diyarbakir, given its significant economic and agricultural potential.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Fidan emphasized that Diyarbakir’s historical geographical ties with Iraq and Syria position it at the heart of a cultural and economic network. He asserted that stabilizing the political landscape and establishing peace in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq would catalyze an economic boom in Diyarbakir and the broader region. This anticipated boom is expected not only from Turkey’s domestic reforms and initiatives but also from improved regional policies and cooperation with neighboring countries.

Fidan outlined Ankara’s vision, which extends beyond addressing internal issues to building a regional system that aims to end political violence and establish stability in Syria and Iraq, under the “region without terrorism” framework. His remarks align with the “Turkey Without Terrorism” initiative, a strategy through which Ankara seeks to dismantle the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliates, while simultaneously enhancing security and development at both domestic and regional levels.

The Turkish Foreign Minister projected that a secure and stable political environment would attract both local and foreign investors to the region. He stressed that with such stability, Diyarbakir and its neighboring areas could achieve their rightful economic status. Fidan remarked on the heavy toll that wars, bloodshed, and terrorism over the past four decades have exacted on the region, hindering investment flows and weakening economic development opportunities.

In his address, Fidan acknowledged the efforts of successive Justice and Development Party (AKP) governments since 2002 to tackle infrastructure issues and improve economic and urban conditions in the region. He recounted his recent field tour of the provinces of Mus, Bing¶l, Elazig, and Malatya, where he observed significant changes in urban development, road networks, and housing compared to the situation 25 years ago. The transformation of the landscape, with the proliferation of dual carriageways and the disappearance of mud-brick houses, was cited as an indicator of economic development.

Fidan concluded by underscoring the interconnectedness of Turkey’s future with Syria and Iraq, stating that peace in these countries would allow all the peoples and nations of the region to advance toward peace and development.