Bosnia-Herzegovina is a country very dear to Turkish heart. Ten years ago the country has undergone a terrible bloodshed. We remember the sufferings of the brotherly nation and wish them a peaceful and prosperous life in the next decade. Since the beginning of the crisis, there Turkey has done it utmost to bring peace to Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Balkans in general. Today, with hindsight we can once more emphasize how volatile the international system became following the end of the Cold War and also indicate that we have institutions at our disposal to deal with this volatile situation.

The decade of 1990's has been witness to troubles in the Balkans. Later the new millennium opened up with the September 11 attacks. The attention of the international community has shifted to the East. Afghanistan and Iraq have been the main areas in focus. On top of that came the trans-Atlantic rift; it took some four years for things to patch up if at all. But it is a consolation that during this turmoil in the East, the two important institutions of the West, NATO and European Union have continued their endeavours in Bosnia-Herzegovina and other places in the Balkans. In Bosnia-Herzegovina the NATO led Stabilization Force (SFOR) has concluded its mission and the European Union has taken over at the end of last year. Turkey took part in both of these missions. EU has also decided in 2003 to give membership perspective to the Western Balkan countries. This will certainly help the stabilization of the area. In addition to the two institutions, the United Nations also played its part. The OSCE worked in the electoral process. The World Bank initiated economic reconstruction projects. In short, the international community as a whole was there.

The sad experience in the Balkans has taught us a lesson: when it comes to situations threatening international peace, U.S. and Europe should be united to end crises. We hope they can do that in Iraq. But not the Dayton way.