11th Turkish President Abdullah Gül participated in the panel titled "The New Role of the State" organized by the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE), one of Tunisia's leading think tanks.
During the session, formerly known President of Tunisia Mohamed en-Nasser, Tunisian Prime Minister Yusuf Shahid and former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Chipras, who are well-known in the world politics, also attended.
"TUNISIA HAS GAVE SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRACY EXAM"
During the session, important evaluations were made on the role of states in world politics and 11th President Abdullah Gül emphasized an intense democracy.
Emphasizing that there is an important struggle for the establishment of democratic order in Tunisia and that a successful test has been given in terms of the security of democratic institutions, Gül said:
"Looking back today, we are proud as friends of Tunisia. Tunisia succeeded in democracy by realizing a revolution with minimum social costs and preserving the institutions of the country without creating chaos. The world watched this process with great admiration and applauded the Tunisian experience with enthusiasm. Tunisia's success in this democratic experiment is remarkable and invaluable because it began with the Arab Spring turning into an Arab Winter in most countries. The purpose of politics and the responsibility of the rulers is to increase living standards, well-being and happiness of people. The first step towards achieving this goal is to ensure peace and stability, while at the same time ensuring that different views and ideologies share the same space peacefully. Fortunately, there are no strong ethnic, religious, sectarian or linguistic differences in Tunisia, so it is easier to achieve these goals in Tunisia."
"DEMOCRACY IS FOR HUMAN HAPPINESS AND WELFARE"
"Democracies should be pluralistic, not majority. A democratic government must respect not only the demands and rights of the majority, but also minority groups and identities. human rights and freedoms are in line with universal standards, the principle of the rule of law is held above all, and different sectors of society are represented and have the opportunity to participate," he said.
"NO SUSTAINABILITY WITH AUTHORITARY REGIMES"
"Moreover, it can be argued that non-democratic and even authoritarian regimes can develop and obtain economically. However, it is a clear question whether such a development will be sustainable. Usually the wealth created in this way is not reasonably distributed. I strongly believe that the power of a state should not be measured by its harsh power. It should be measured with the happiness and happiness it provides to its citizens with its soft prestige and international prestige," Gül added.