The “Martti Ahtisaari Legacy Peace Seminar 2024,” organized by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in cooperation with the Embassy of Finland in Türkiye and Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI), was held on Tuesday, October 1, at the Mithat Çoruh Auditorium.
The seminar, which aims to stimulate discussion on the future of peace mediation around the world, began with opening remarks by H.E. Mr. Alexander Stubb, President of the Republic of Finland. President Stubb emphasized the necessity of multilateralism and the pivotal role of the United Nations in maintaining global order, stressing the importance of adherence to international law.
President Stubb’s opening remarks were followed by a discussion on trends in international mediation featuring H.E. Ms. Elina Valtonen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland and H.E. Prof. Burhanettin Duran, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye.
The seminar continued with an expert panel on navigating multilevel peace mediation amid global shifts, focusing on the Horn of Africa. At the panel, Prof. Pınar Bilgin, of the Departments of International Relations and Political Science and Public Administration, hosted Ambassador Timur Söylemez, Director General for International Mediation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Türkiye; Assoc. Prof. Esra Çuhadar of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration; Mr. Oskari Eronen, Chief Program Officer at CMI; and Mr. Suldaan Said Ahmed, Finnish Foreign Minister’s Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa.
The seminar honored Martti Ahtisaari (1937-2023), former UN diplomat, Finnish statesman, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2008), recognized as one of the world’s leading peace mediators. The President Martti Ahtisaari Legacy Event series fosters discussions on the future of peace mediation, building on his global legacy.
