We invited Bahçeşehir University Faculty Member Burak Küntay to this year’s first Foreign Policy Talks event. Küntay, who was with us that morning between the hours of 11:00-15:00, evaluated the developments on the United States-Middle East and Turkey axis and prepared projections for 2012.

Küntay attended the meeting, which went extremely well, with delegates from Bahçeşehir University School of Government and Leadership. The important points from his speech were as follows:

The United States will continue to be an active power over the next fifty years.

We have to follow the world in order to make sensible, correct and strategic decisions.

Iran’s nuclear program studies are more important than Turkey’s official policy makes them out to be; it is a threat that should be considered critical.

The United States and Israel may view the Arab region’s revolts negatively.

Turkey’s zero problem policy is incorrect. A country in a situation like Turkey is not likely to please everyone by a zero problem policy.

Turkey’s commercial expansion must change direction with the emptied EU markets. Latin America, Turkic Republics, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia may be target countries. These markets should be evaluated.

Many countries feel the need to be a part of an alliance, a group, a union, but Turkey does not. Turkey can exist apart from the European Union as well.

It is better to evaluate the situation as an Arab Storm rather than an Arab Spring. Democracy is a long process, the conflicts and civil wars in the region have just begun.

An opportunity window has opened for Turkey. If proper steps are taken, Turkey can become a world leader between the years 2050-2100.