With an emphasis on "mutual respect" for territorial integrity and sovereignty, a regional grouping of Asian political parties Saturday urged Russia and Ukraine to "lay down arms" and give diplomacy a chance.
"We are gravely concerned about the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, especially its implementation of enormous humanitarian catastrophe," read the Istanbul declaration of the 11th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), adopted at the end of a three-day gathering in the Turkish metropolis.
Party representatives and around 200 guests from international organizations delivered speeches on "The Role of Political Parties in Strengthening Dialogue for Global Peace, Prosperity and Cooperation."
Lauding Ankara's role in brokering a landmark grain deal signed in Istanbul in July by Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine, the ICAPP extended its support to its ongoing implementation. Days before its scheduled expiration, the deal was extended for another 120 days, beginning on Nov.19.
"We made it clear that we are against violence in all shapes and sizes, and urged all parties in regional and global flashpoints to lay down their weapons immediately and resume diplomatic efforts to resolve their differences peacefully, upholding international laws and Charter of the United Nations," the ICAPP declaration read.
Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) hosted the 11th General Assembly of the ICAPP, which started on Thursday evening and concluded on Saturday.
"We reconfirm our commitment to upholding the principles of the ICAPP i.e. mutual respect for territorial integrity, and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, co-chair of the ICAPP and a politician from Pakistan, who read the Istanbul declaration.
Sayed and AK Party Foreign Affairs chief Efkan Ala were unanimously elected co-chair and vice-chair at the Istanbul meeting of the ICAPP, Asia's oldest and largest organization of political parties.
Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February which has resulted in death and injuries to tens of hundreds, triggering global condemnation of Moscow's moves.
The ICAPP declaration said the lingering and newly flaring up conflicts "throughout our region and the world pose serious potential threats to the overall security of all members of the global community due to ever-increasing interdependence and interconnectivity among the countries."
Amid talk of an "Asian Century," the ICAPP, however, said there are "dark clouds of conflict posing a serious risk to regional and global peace and stability."
"We stress the importance of avoiding bloc politics and emphasized cooperation over competition, as common challenges require a collective response," read the declaration.
The Asian regional grouping said the political parties are "endemic to democracy and the driving force to advance democratic values."
"They are indeed an important unifying factor in any country's social cohesion and awareness growth, as they represent peoples of different hues, classes, and backgrounds on a common platform," read the declaration.
Around 70 political parties from 33 Asian countries, including China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia and South Korea, attended the three-day event. The conference, held once every two years since 2000 when it was launched in the Philippines, was scheduled to be held in Türkiye two years ago but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Russia party hosted the 10th General Assembly in Moscow in 2018.
Speaking at the conference, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said that Türkiye is now described as a "stabilizing force" in international relations literature.
"Türkiye's efforts for peace and stability also yield results in the Russia-Ukraine war. Our president (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), who is the only leader who can meet with the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine, has been striving for an open dialogue, a diplomatic solution and a just peace from the very beginning," said Altun.
"Due to the trust placed in our president and Türkiye, the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were able to start in our country. Although this process seems to be interrupted, for now, we believe that we will be able to return to negotiations and achieve lasting peace," he added.
Mentioning the landmark grain deal struck in Istanbul, Altun said Türkiye "played a vital role in preventing the global food crisis."
As a result of Türkiye's principled and constructive policy, the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) brought together the American and Russian intelligence chiefs in Ankara and enabled discussions on the threats to regional and global security, said Altun.
"This initiative, which is a good example of intelligence diplomacy, has once again demonstrated Türkiye's potential and its 'stabilizing power,'" he added.
