Berlin, 11 November 2022: Her conclusion sounds sobering: "We are living in one of the darkest times for humanity. If you look back a hundred years from now, you will see that politicians were pursuing purely economic interests," said Turkish human rights activist Hatice Cengiz yesterday at the second Helmut Schmidt Lecture in Berlin. At the invitation of the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation (BKHS), she spoke under the motto "Speaking up!" about attacks on press freedom and value-based politics. She also discussed the delicate balancing act between human rights and gas supplies from Saudi Arabia in talks with Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and members of the Bundestag.
When her fiancé, the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was killed by contract killers in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul four years ago, the life of the Middle East expert changed abruptly. Since the murder, Hatice Cengiz has dedicated her life to the fight for press freedom, human rights and justice. In powerful words, she described how her personal fate was suddenly at the centre of worldwide media attention and how she realised: "I have to speak. Speak out to fight for human rights, despite all the difficulties. It's like walking along a thorny path, it's important but difficult."
For four years, she has been calling for the man who ordered the murder, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to be brought to justice and for Khashoggi's death not to go unpunished.
Today, she is observing the balancing act of Western politics between values and national interests: In the face of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, governments are endeavouring to secure energy supplies without Russian imports. Politicians such as US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have met again with the Saudi crown prince, who was politically isolated after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. It is a balancing act that, as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the BKHS, Peer Steinbrück, emphasised in his welcoming speech, cannot be resolved; "but it is the great strength of our democracy that we can not only debate, but also listen to and allow different opinions and criticism."
Hatice Cengiz is certain that she is still at the very beginning of her journey, as it is time more than ever to speak out in favour of human rights and more humanity in politics. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of value-driven decisions: "A world that moves away from human values faces a crisis that is just as threatening as the energy crisis or the danger of a nuclear crisis. Life without human values means the end of humanity."
The subsequent round of talks also focussed on the question of the political balancing act between safeguarding human rights and a secure energy supply in view of the current situation. The discussion was moderated by Spiegel journalist Susanne Koelbl, who lived and researched in Saudi Arabia for a long time and knew Jamal Khashoggi well as a colleague.
Hatice Cengiz also used her visit to Berlin for individual discussions with representatives of the German government. The BKHS organised a political supporting programme especially for this, including a meeting with Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Alliance90/The Greens). She spoke with him about Germany's changing relations with Saudi Arabia and possible support from the German government for its commitment to justice in the Khashoggi case as part of a values-led foreign policy.
The Helmut Schmidt Lecture was also accompanied by the BKHS Magazine with essays, photos, statements and prose by well-known policy experts, journalists, activists and artists. The current issue "Speaking up!" includes contributions from Hatice Cengiz, Russian writer and Putin critic Viktor Yerofeyev, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, WDR journalist Georgine Kellermann and Polish documentary filmmaker Bart Staszewski, among others.
The Helmut Schmidt Lecture 2022 was organised in cooperation with media partner Deutsche Welle.