‘SOME EU COUNTRIES’ ATTITUDE OVERSHADOWS ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS’
By Foreign News Desk
Zaman, Turkey
Sept 17 2005
zaman.com
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said some European Union
(EU) governments, with motives pertaining to their domestic politics
created a “virtual mood.”
Erdogan in New York to attend the United Nations (UN) summit attended
a session of the “Clinton Global Initiative” titled “How should
civilizations speak with each other?”
There, he said there were still some governments in the Union which
had negative attitudes towards Turkey, despite Turkey’s completion
of all requirements.
If this attitude remains, EU will be nothing more than a Christian
club, Erdogan said. “We should not overshadow the alliance of
civilizations. If EU says, ‘we are not a Christian club,’ then Turkey
should take its part there. If you don’t think to accept Turkey,
we then have the right to ask, ‘why did you detain us so long then?'”
Upon the mediator’s remark that Justice and Development Party (AKP)
reconciled Islam and Modernity, Erdogan retorted: “I want to make a
correction. We are not a party that reconciles modernity and Islam.
We are not a party with religion as the main axis. We are a party
that completely assumes the principles of the democratic, secular
law state. We are conservative democrats.”
“If you place Islam ahead of democracy this would be using religion as
a political means. We did not accept this, and we cannot accept this.”
Saudi Arabian Ambassador to US Prince Turki Al-Faisal, principal deputy
assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs and daughter of
Vice President Dick Cheney Elizabeth Cheney, and the Conflict Forum
chair Alistair Crook attended the session.
In the mean time, Former US President Bill Clinton, British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, King of Jordan Abdullah and US Secretary of State
Condelezza Rice, who attended the opening session the day before,
drawing a bold line between Islam and terror, stressed, it was not
possible for terrorists to represent a religious belief.
Islam and the Muslims who live in Britain make Britain richer, said
Blair in his address.
“Armenian genocide resolution will not serve peace”
“The acceptance of such resolutions will not serve world peace,”
Turkish Prime Minister assessed for two separate resolutions on
the so-called Armenian Genocide allegations at the US House of
Representatives International Relations Committee. Politicians who
sought peace, he indicated, were on a wrong path at this point.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry as well expressed its sadness with
a statement.
In the news conference Erdogan organized, the US State Department
Spokesperson, Adam Ereli said US’s position was different and the
subject should not be politicized but seriously and fairly discussed
by the concerned parties.