On 29 April, DPI ran a planned online roundtable meeting entitled ‘The dividends of peace and the cost of the conflict in Turkey: A Regional Perspective’, which was held in collaboration with Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting was the first of the series in 2021 called ‘Mapping dividends of peace in Turkey’, designed to focus on the economic benefits of peace, as well as the direct and indirect effects of peacebuilding on economic growth and stability.
The event’s keynote speakers were Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland and Mehmet Kaya, Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman of the Board.
Former Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, gave an in-depth delineation of the progression the peace process, as well as the inherent problems and difficulties within Northern Ireland. Bertie Ahern spoke of the peace that had subsequently been established, as well as the economic prosperity the region had since built.
Mehmet Kaya, Chairman of Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce, discussed the issues pertaining the economy in Turkey, in particular the south-east region, where the conflict is concentrated.
Overall, the roundtable discussion offered a platform for participants to discuss the interplay of peace and economy, focusing primarily on the examples of Northern Ireland and Turkey.
The online roundtable forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Forging Pathways to Peace and Democracy in Turkey”, supported by the Norwegian and Irish government.