‘No peace without Mideast stability,’ Nobel laureate Acemoglu hails Assad’s fall in Syria
America-Turkish economist Daron Acemoglu’s career of excellence culminates in the Nobel Prize for economics, October 14, 2024. (Illustration by Mehmet Akbas/Türkiye Today)
Nobel Laureate and Economics Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Daron Acemoglu, shared his views on the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, stating, “There can be no peace in the world without peace in the Middle East.”
Acemoglu described the current situation in Syria as “uncertain” amid the collapse of the oppressive Baath regime lasted for 61 years, emphasizing Türkiye’s pivotal role in shaping the new era.
He added that the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland remains challenging.
“As long as there is no peace there, no one will return from Europe, nor will anyone return from Türkiye,” he said.
Speaking at the promotional event for the autobiographical book of Kemal Sahin, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Türkiye-based Sahinler Holding, Acemoglu delivered a presentation titled “Opportunities and Challenges of the 21st Century.”
‘Short period left to seize opportunities’
Acemoglu asserted the need for more impactful efforts in areas such as population management, technology, climate change adaptation and artificial intelligence (AI).
“Türkiye has only a short period left to seize opportunities. Within the next 10-15 years, or at most 20 years, if technology does not elevate us to a much better level and significantly improve job resources, the situation will not be favorable. We cannot afford to waste another decade,” Acemoglu warned.
He also criticized the growing oligopoly in AI technologies, addressing major tech monopolies—Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic. Acemoglu stressed the need for democratizing advancements in AI and proposed forming a consortium among developing countries to foster innovation in AI technologies.
Acemoglu further noted that Türkiye could greatly benefit from the global shift of economic power towards Asia because of its strategic position.
However, he remarked that the country has yet to fully capitalize on this opportunity, adding that achieving this balance is both possible and necessary.
