Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Türkiye’s ambitious infrastructure drive during a recent panel on shifting geopolitical dynamics and their impact on the country.
“Türkiye displays a level of dynamism in infrastructure development that the U.K. sorely lacks,” Johnson said, citing Britain’s failure to expand airport capacity in London and the recent cancellation of a high-speed rail project as signs of stagnation.
“And here in Türkiye, you’ve built colossal airports, amazing new infrastructure and high-speed rail,” he said. “It’s a lesson for us.”
“I was very proud when I was mayor of London to build all sorts of things – the Crossrail was the biggest engineering project in Europe,” he noted. “I built lots of river crossings.”
“In the U.K., we have to accept that Türkiye’s ambitions are really inspiring and leaving us behind – the scale and pace of change here since I first came to Türkiye has been extraordinary,” he added. “Türkiye has taken on an ever more important role on the world stage, as a bridge between East and West, but more importantly, as a force for global stability.”
Johnson said Türkiye has done “some great things” as a NATO member and in its involvement with Syria.
“I hope very much that we’ll have some peace and stability in that country,” he said.
The former prime minister added that the U.K. and Türkiye have “a great role together in reassuring the world about the permanence of our values and restoring some common sense where that is necessary.”
Johnson said the first priority should be to end the “miserable” war in Ukraine, while paying “tribute to Turkish efforts” to broker peace.
“In the White House, they are finally understanding that ... Ukraine didn’t start this war – Russia is the aggressor,” he said. “I think they always understood that. It’s very clear to President Trump. I think he is now going to start putting real pressure on Vladimir Putin.”
Ahmet Eren, president of the Turkish Finance Accountants’ Foundation (HUV), said the panel has hosted Turkish and international scientists, politicians and experts in recent years to discuss global economic shifts in 2023 and 2024. This year’s edition focused on drawing international attention.
“The panel was planned before U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election, but his April 2 remarks shook the global economy, making this issue even more important,” Eren said.
“Assessing the effects of Trump’s second term on the global political and economic system is more relevant today than ever,” he added.
