Russia Ukraine War Discussed

The eyes and ears of the world have been on the news from Ukraine for months. The war, which started with the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been intensifying in the eastern regions of the country recently, while the balances of the whole world are moving on a volatile ground due to this war. Majority of its members have export and international connections. EGİAD Aegean Young Businessmen Association held a meeting on the Ukraine War in the Framework of the Changing Dynamics of International Relations and discussed all the effects and outputs of the Russia-Ukraine War. Ege University FEAS Faculty Member Assoc. Dr. The event with the speech of Sinem Ünalçiler Kocamaz EGİAD It was held at the Association Center.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting EGİAD Evaluating the national and international effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors Cem Demirci said, “Due to the strategic location of our country, the constant conflicts, wars and crises in our vicinity not only affect the whole world, but also affect us more deeply and for a long time. These effects have many human, political, geographical and commercial implications. From a humanitarian point of view, of course, we are against all forms of war; In this direction, our basic principle is found in our Ata's words "Peace at home, peace in the world".

Energy Sector in the Shadow of War

Speaking at the event where it was emphasized that many countries in Europe are dependent on Russia for energy, Demirci said, “Due to the war started by Russia, one of the world's largest fossil fuel producers and exporters, a significant increase was recorded in natural gas and oil prices. When the inflation and currency crisis in our country are added to this, we have entered a very difficult period," he said.

We Can Turn the Food Crisis into an Opportunity

Expressing that he attaches importance to an analysis of the process on a healthy basis, accompanied by different views, with the evaluation of scientists, Demirci also evaluated the effects of the war on the food industry, and said, "United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war will not be limited to the region," "It's melting the global food system," he said. We have to find this estimate realistic because Russia and Ukraine, known as the world's breadbasket, supply about 30% of the global wheat and 80% of the corn supply. Countries that cannot produce enough wheat, barley, maize or other grains to meet their needs, especially Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iran and Ethiopia, are at risk. Turkey, on the other hand, is the country that imports the most wheat from Russia. Our country is actually a strong country in terms of agricultural production. We can have the potential to turn the global food crisis into an opportunity with the products we grow. For example, if we can increase our food production to a level that is sufficient for us, and if we can buy oil in return after giving food to the Middle East, we can reduce our production costs," he said.

Firms Run away

Reminding that many famous Western companies have withdrawn from Russia since the beginning of the war due to political pressures and public expectations as well as economic sanctions, Demirci said, “These companies include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Starbucks, Levi's, Airbnb, Apple, Visa, Mastercard, Ford and There are giants from different sectors such as Boeing. In response to these withdrawals, Russia announced that the assets of companies that decided to withdraw from the country could be expropriated. The war deeply injured the whole world in humanitarian and economic terms. "We expect the war to end as soon as possible," he said.

Ege University FEAS Faculty Member Assoc. Dr. Sinem Ünaldılar Kocamaz, while evaluating the latest developments of the war in the region; He also discussed all aspects of political, economic and social aspects. Emphasizing that the Western countries are uniting in the embargo against Russia, Kocamaz pointed out that a union of forces can be formed for the re-establishment of Ukraine after the war. Expressing that Turkey, due to its position and NATO membership, is careful to maintain the balance with both Western countries, Ukraine and Russia, Kocamaz said, “We have returned to our traditional policy. We cannot completely confront Russia, but our friendly relations with Ukraine continue. That's why we maintain the Balance Policy; actually that was our traditional policy. Due to membership, we have an obligation to act with NATO as well. This war also revealed how important another point is, which is the Montreux Convention. It has been understood once again how important the Convention is to protect our country and the countries of the region. Reminding that the Middle East countries started to make peace with each other and Russia was reacting instead of the USA, which was previously known as a bad country in the international arena, Kocamaz said, "The possibility of energy transfer to the west over Turkey due to the explosion of prices will create an opportunity for our country."