ISTANBUL
Turkey's former president Abdullah Gul said the Middle East region was going through the "worst scenario" because of "proxy wars," in a speech in Istanbul on Wednesday.
"I think, as a politician and statesman, right now the worst scenario is taking place," said Gul, speaking at the fifth Bosphorus Summit, which gathered participants from 70 countries to discuss and improve economic and cultural ties.
"In the Middle East (…), long-lasting wars or armed conflicts create a vacuum in the region that increases radicalism, extremism and, therefore, terrorism," he added, blaming the "irrational policies" of regional leaders for the situation.
Turkey's 11th president, who held the post for seven years until 2014, described the current situation of the world as becoming more "negative" rapidly, compared to five years ago, referring to the regional conflicts in Ukraine, in Syria and in Iraq.
He warned for further unexpected and "much more complicated" threats arising from the current instability in the region that could harm the whole world.
The extremist Sunni insurgency, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, now controls vast swathes of territories in both war-torn Syria and Iraq.
But Gul also marked positive developments in the region such as the establishment of a more comprehensive government in Iraq and the deal reached between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government over the share of oil revenues.
He acknowledged the recognition of Palestine as a state by European countries as a positive step in bringing peace to the region.
"Many EU nations voted for recognizing Palestine as a state, because everybody has begun to realize what the mounting disappointment and despair in the region might cost," he said.
In October, Sweden recognized Palestine, becoming the eighth EU nation to do so.
The U.K, French and Spanish parliaments, as well as the Irish Senate, have also all delivered non-binding endorsements, reflecting growing frustration with the sputtering Israel-Palestine peace process, while Belgium announced to hold discussions in its parliament over the issue.
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