No. 13. (07/05/2004)

Secretary General's speech at Galatasaray University
Istanbul, 29 April 2004

I am deeply honoured to have this opportunity to speak at this prestigious university. And I am equally honoured to be here at Istanbul, a city that quite literally bridges two continents. I envy you - studying along the Bosphorus must indeed be an inspirational experience. Your city has become one of the world's most vibrant towns a prime example of how the meeting of different cultures and traditions generates a true cosmopolitan spirit. It is quite fitting, therefore, that the next NATO Summit will take place here in Istanbul. Because this Summit very much like this city will be about building new bridges. And it will also be a good opportunity to highlight Turkey's value as a staunch NATO Ally an Ally with unique ties to the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

For over half a century, the success story of Turkey has been closely intertwined with its role in the Atlantic Alliance. Because just like Turkey unites two continents, so does NATO. It binds North America and Europe in a community of shared values and shared interests. And just a few weeks ago, seven more countries joined this community. Nothing could illustrate better how attractive this transatlantic project remains. Of course our security environment has changed drastically over the last decade after the end of the cold war. When I was a student, the strategic environment was, in a way, far more predictable. In those days we did not have to worry about many of the things that concern us today. With the world divided into two blocks, we were facing only one clear security threat. And, accordingly, we needed one single response.

Today, our job of providing security has become far more complicated. Terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts and failed states are the new threats we are facing. And they are much less predictable in nature. But does this mean that we have lost control? Are we reduced to the role of mere bystanders? I do not think so. Security can be shaped by developing the right ideas; by devising the right policies; and by making the right choices. Yes, we have to look at security in a completely different way than we did in the past. But even today, with a far more complex agenda, we can make a difference. Indeed, you can make a difference. After all, the 21st century is your century. You are the leaders of tomorrow. Your generation will produce the thinkers and the doers to meet the challenges of the future. Some of you will work at NATO, or the UN, others will join NGOs. Some of you will actively engage in politics, others will write about it as journalists or members of think tanks. Some will practice law or other professions this university is preparing you for. Others will perhaps come back to Galatasary to teach. But whatever you do, your active interest in world affairs, in peace and security will help shape the future for the better for your children.

As you develop your professional careers, I am sure that you will approach many issues and problems in a different way than my generation does. Every generation has the right to look at things with a fresh perspective. But as you come up with your own solutions to security challenges, you will find that there is no alternative to transatlantic cooperation. Because Europe and North America are the world's largest permanent coalition and like-minded countries. And NATO is the most successful and effective alliance in modern history. But this also entails serious responsibilities: Europe and North America have to work at their best to provide security and stability. NATO was created in the Cold War, with a very specific purpose: deterrence and defence against a single, well-defined threat. This situation lasted for 40 years a very long period. Perhaps this explains why still too many people think of NATO as some kind of static organisation. When people talk or write about NATO, I am often surprised at how resilient old Cold War stereotypes can be.

The reality is, of course, quite different. NATO has long ceased to be a static organisation. Since the end of the Cold War, the Alliance has become a very flexible and very creative instrument for shaping change. It is no longer a passive organisation, geared exclusively towards deterrence. On the contrary, NATO today is an Alliance in action. It is an organisation that builds stability in countries torn with conflict. It creates the conditions of peace and security so that other international organisations can help economic and democratic development of these societies. NATO acts in the Balkans, where our troops have turned this region from a war zone into a region that is entering the European mainstream. It has halted two bloody wars in Bosnia and Kosovo and prevented another in Macedonia. In Kosovo, when the security situation deteriorated last month, NATO again acted quickly to restore stability.

NATO also acts in Afghanistan, its first peace operation outside of Europe. This is a very important mission for the future of Afghanistan. We are helping this country to get up on its feet again after decades of war and instability. NATO ships are also patrolling the Mediterranean in anti-terrorist operations, and enhancing security of routes. As you see, this is a far cry from the static Cold War Alliance of the past. This is effective multilateralism in security multilateralism with teeth. The transformation NATO has been undergoing since the end of the Cold War has been profound. But to us, transformation is a process, not an event. It is a never-ending challenge. We cannot stand still. Because the security environment does not stand still.

So what are the next steps on our transformation agenda? First of all, different challenges require different instruments. Simply put, you can not fight 21st century threats with 20th century tools. This is why we are building new capabilities to better respond to threats like terrorism. For instance, we are creating a NATO Response Force which will be able to react more quickly to new challenges. We are enhancing our defence against weapons of mass destruction. And we are working on how we can make our forces more capable of performing in demanding and sometimes dangerous circumstances in missions such as those in the Balkans and Afghanistan. But military instruments are not all we need. We are also deepening our dialogue and co-operation with several countries which are not NATO members, whom we call our Partners. NATO has built mechanisms for engaging countries as diverse as Ireland, Albania, Russia, Georgia or Turkmenistan. We work together with them in areas ranging from defence reform to combating terrorism. And forces from many of many of these countries serve with ours side-by-side in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, or Afghanistan. This is a co-operative momentum unprecedented in Europe's history a "security culture" that now reaches far beyond NATO member states. We will develop this Partnership further. Because global threats require global responses.

NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue is another partnership that brings together seven countries of Northern Africa and the Middle East in a constructive relationship. Through this dialogue, NATO also offers assistance in its fields of expertise that these countries request. We are looking at perhaps extending such possibilities to some of the countries of the wider region, if they so wish. Turkey, a secular and democratic country in the Muslim world, will no doubt play an important role in the International Community's effort to engage this region.

We are also building co-operation between NATO and the European Union. A strategic partnership between NATO and the EU holds the potential of transforming not only European security, but also the transatlantic relationship. After long negotiations, in which Turkey played a key role, we have created the conditions to allow the EU to demonstrate its role as a serious security actor, yet without duplicating NATO. And as the European Union gradually takes over more responsibilities from NATO in the Balkans, more NATO forces become available for other pressing tasks. This will facilitate a new, more equitable burden sharing between the United States and Europe.

When NATO's Heads of State and Government meet right here in Istanbul in June, they will take another major step in the Alliance's transformation. They will implement further our common vision the vision of an Alliance determined to deal with the new security threats of this century. An Alliance prepared to defend against threats from wherever they may come, if necessary by sending its forces to where they are needed. An Alliance that deepens its co-operation with Partner countries throughout the Euro-Atlantic area. An Alliance that strengthens its dialogue and co-operation with the Southern Mediterranean and the wider region.

The Istanbul Summit will bring home a fundamental truth that even in this new, complex environment, we can still very much shape events, and not be their victims. There is no reason to feel helpless in the face of rapid change. We must shape the change. There are plenty of opportunities to do so. Because we have the instruments previous generations lacked. Above all, we have NATO our Atlantic Alliance. If we make use of its full potential, this Alliance will remain an anchor of security not only for my generation, but also for yours and for those that follow. When I was a student at University, I used to organise lively debates on foreign policy. So I look forward to the NATO Youth Summit taking place at the end of next month, where young people will make their voices heard on the important security issues of the day. And I look forward to your provocative questions right now! Thank you.