Dear Colleagues!

The Silk Road was the major commercial route extending from mainland Asia on to Europe and Africa that has continued its significant logistical role for a period of almost 2000 years up until the early modern times. It was named after the Chinese silk transported over to the West. This main commercial route, has also continued to function as a basic link between the peoples and cultures along it for centuries.

In today’s world of expanding globalization, the countries along this route, with Turkey at its centre, similarly figure prominently on today’s global economic, social, cultural and political agenda. The recent academic efforts to re-evaluate and rejuvenate the Silk Road in all of its various facets have culminated in the idea to organize an international conference on the subject. “The International Silk Road Congress: To Rethink a Region of Commerce, Cooperation and Peace”, is being organised in collboration with various institutions and universities, and under the coordination of the Ankara Centre for Thought and Research and Istanbul Commmerce University. It is planned to be held in Istanbul, Turkey on 27-30 October 2013.

29 October 2013 is the date on which the Marmaray underwater tunnel in Istanbul that will constitute the final link on the Peking-London Railway will be officially inaugurated. With the completion of the said project, a continuous railway connection on the Silk Road will have become operational for the first time in history. It is expected that the above Conference will also provide an opportunity to add this major development on to the agenda of the World academic circles over a wide geographic area, extending from China on the Pacific to Western Europe and beyond.

The Congress will not only provide a platform for an extensive discussion of rejuvenating and consolidating the historical friendships among the countries along the Silk Road, but also of initiating and developing expanded cooperation among them in the coming years. Thus, while reviewing the commercial, economic and cultural links and the potentials for cooperation among Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan along this route, the Conference will also look into the rest of the Silk Road extending from Turkey on to Western Europe. Furthermore, the relationships among these countries will also be taken up by experts in a North-South context, with a view to developing commercial, economic, cultural and political cooperation that will help link up Asia and Europe to Africa as well, and, thus, help improve the prospects for change in the greater part of the ‘old World’ and in much of the developing World.

The Silk Road geography is at the verge of a major new transformation and re-awakening with an uninterrupted railway connection, an extensive transport network, energy corridors and natural gas pipelines. The countries on route are presently responsible for 22 per cent of the 30 trillion dolar World trade and are on the way to becoming one of the most important global economic centers. Furthermore, with the removal of the trade barriers within the region, Turkey, lying in the middle of this route, would have the opportunity to develop into a major hub for trade among Asian, European and African continents.

The speakers at the Conference will include a global mix of academicians, prominent government officials and statesmen, experts in relevant areas and business people. Your honored presence and participation at the Conference, as well as any possible contribution to its success will be highly appreciated. Please accept my thanks, as I remain respectfully yours.