Kerry, Davutoglu open global counterterrorism forum ministerial in New York

For his part, Davutoglu noted some of the successes of the GCTF since the initiative was launched two years ago. "We are pleased to observe that the multi-agency dialogue among experts that are involved in counterterrorism intensified and deepened," he said. "Secondly, we note with satisfaction that our cooperation through GCTF enables us to address, among others, countering violent extremism and radicalization, enhancing investigations of terrorist crimes, empowering victims of terrorism, capacity building for counterterrorism finance, as well as strengthening rule of law in the fight against terrorism." Davutoglu acknowledged and thanked "the contributions of the Hedayah Center since its foundation last year as the first international center for countering violent extremism in Abu Dhabi" and said it is now "well positioned to complement national and international efforts to explain and prevent the phenomenon of violent extremism." "While new approaches do not necessarily mean ignoring the lessons we had learned, they require political will, structural capacity, and most importantly, support of our people who trust us, the governments to provide for their security. I am confident that our cooperation in the GCTF could harness this support," he added. However, there is "no one-size-fits-all approach," elaborated Kerry, so the GCTF needs "to be prepared to respond to each situation differently, to tailor each program in response to the conditions that empower terrorism, and this initiative can do that." The GCTF was launched two years ago and is an "informal, multilateral counterterrorism platform that focuses on identifying critical civilian counterterrorism needs, mobilizing the necessary expertise and resources to address such needs and enhance global cooperation," according to the US Department of State. The UN is a close partner of the GCTF and regularly participates in its activities, as part of their mission together is the implementation of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.