Ambassador of Türkiye to Finland Ms. Deniz Cakar with President of Finland Mr. Sauli Niinistö

October 29, marks the centennial of the foundation of the latest Turkish state in history. The Republic of Türkiye was proclaimed under the visionary leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. A hundred years ago, on October 29, 1923, the birth of a modern, democratic, and secular nation was declared to the whole world. The journey of the Turkish Republic has been one of transformation, resilience, and progress. Over the past century, Türkiye has undergone comprehensive and far-reaching reforms in political, economic, and social spheres, emerging as a vibrant and dynamic nation that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia.

SDP Member of Parliament Sanna Marin is seen checking her smartwatch during a plenary question time session in Helsinki on September 7, 2023. Marin announced today that she has been appointed as a strategic advisor to the Tony Blair Institute and, as a result, has requested to resign from her position as a Member of Parliament. SDP Member of Parliament Ilmari Nurminen is pictured alongside her. LEHTIKUVA

Despite being hailed as the world's youngest serving prime minister when she took office in 2019, Sanna Marin carries with her a notably thin résumé. Having risen quickly through the ranks of Finnish politics, she spent little time in each of her preceding roles, prompting critics to question the depth of her experience and her ability to govern. With the ink on her master’s degree still fresh, and a relatively short tenure in the Finnish parliament, concerns abounded regarding her competence in managing complex political landscapes, both domestically and internationally.

Viewpoint by Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – these two words capture a deep philosophy. It means ‘the world is one family’. This is an all-embracing outlook that encourages us to progress as one universal family, transcending borders, languages, and ideologies. During India’s G20 Presidency, this has translated into a call for human-centric progress. As One Earth, we are coming together to nurture our planet. As One Family, we support each other in the pursuit of growth.

Participants at the "We Won't Be Silent!" demonstration in Helsinki on 3rd of September. LEHTIKUVA

The government's statement against racism declared that the denial of the Holocaust would be criminalised in Finland's legislation. Prohibiting the public use of Nazi symbols is a contemporary concern, and celebrating the memory of Holocaust victims is undoubtedly a commendable idea. However, criminalising Holocaust denial presents a different kind of issue. It is not primarily a question of freedom of speech because this right is not absolute and cannot legitimise hate speech.

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On one sunny autumn afternoon in Finland, I felt the desire for a cup of coffee. Thus, during my short work break, I ventured out to a nearby cafe. The establishment was bustling with people, but I managed to place an order for coffee and a slice of cheesecake. The friendly barista directed me to wait at a nearby table. Before long, my coffee arrived, and as I sat there, I overheard a conversation at a neighbouring table. The discussion took place in English, making it easy for me to understand, since the speakers were seated close to me.

Finnish and Nato flags flutter at the courtyard of Foreign Ministry in Helsinki, Finland ahead of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 2023. LEHTIKUVA

The security environment across the Atlantic is turning unpredictable and complex with a resurgent Russia, NATO increasing its military presence in Eastern Europe, and the EU imposing financial sanctions on Russia. It has become the need of the hour for the EU as well as NATO as security actors to enhance their collective defence capabilities and move towards greater cooperation. This was made visible in the signing of their joint declaration on January 10, 2023 which reiterated the Union’s commitment to NATO Treaty Article 5.

Pro-government protesters wave the Israeli flag as they gather near Israel's parliament in Jerusalem on April 27, 2023 in support of the hard-right government's controversial push to overhaul the justice system. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

As Israel celebrates its 75th anniversary, every Israeli should remember that the occupation stains the country’s independence day and that Israel is not and will not be a true democracy as long as it remains an occupying power.

I couldn’t applaud and admire enough the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who protested for 17 consecutive weeks against the Netanyahu government’s scheme to subvert Israel’s judiciary under the pretense of necessary ‘reforms.’

In the United States, mass shootings are normal.

Of course, when they happen, they’re followed by heartbroken communities, thoughts and prayers, and a heated debate over gun laws… and then the trend repeats.

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's President Sauli Niinisto, Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde posing for pictures after signing a memorandum during a NATO summit in Madrid. Photo by Murat CETIN MUHURDAR / TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP / LEHTIKUVA

Nearly a year ago I was writing a trilogy of articles for Helsinki Times outlining the problems and risks for Finland joining NATO.

Groupthink clearly prevailed when making the decision to join. Irving Janis who developed the concept years before warned that when decision makers look inward and invest in a perspective that is biased in favour of their own world view without sufficient recognition of other viewpoints, then it leads to poor and damaging decisions.