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ANKARA: The Alliance of Civilizations and the Pope's Visit

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  • ANKARA: The Alliance of Civilizations and the Pope's Visit

    The Alliance of Civilizations and the Pope's Visit
    By HUSEYIN GULERCE
    11.17.2006 Friday - ISTANBUL 19:44

    Zaman, Turkey
    Nov 17 2006

    The 4th High-level Group Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations
    held last Monday at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul also pointed out
    the importance of the visit to our country 12 days from now by Pope
    Benedictus XVI.

    The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was begun by the efforts
    of UN General Secretary Kofi Annan. Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero
    and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan were named as co-chairmen of
    the organization. The enterprise has a High Level Group. After the
    September 11th terrorist attack in the US and the occupation of Iraq
    by the Bush administration using Saddam as an excuse and the Lebanese
    attacks in which Israeli massacres directed towards civilians once
    again appeared on the agenda of world public opinion, hostility and
    tension between the Western world and the Islamic world can only be
    prevented by dialogue efforts among countries and country leaders.

    We see that Turkey has become a very important country in respect
    to both efforts. Turkey's EU membership candidacy increases this
    importance even more. With the reality of "Turkey as an EU member," it
    can be seen that the West hasn't rejected Islam and doesn't see it as
    the "new enemy" and, therefore, that it is possible to have dialogue
    and tolerance among members of different religions for the sake of
    permanent peace. If not, it is inescapable that interpretations will
    be strengthened to the effect that the Holy Crusades are continuing
    with ways and means compatible with this era.

    With the culture of tolerance that Turkey inherited from the Ottomans
    and its republican experience that doesn't clash democracy with Islam,
    it has shown that it approves of coming together on universal human
    values and of integrating with the world, and that it can succeed in
    "sharing" in mankind's common march.

    In spite of voices raised on the inside by those who want polarization,
    but whose voices are not proportional to their strength, the Justice
    and Development Party experience displayed today in administration
    is accepted both by the society and the external world, and it is
    hoped that this experiment will be successful. There not yet being
    any alternative political party on the horizon according to public
    opinion polls emphasizes that it is.

    We see acceptance of dialogue and tolerance in society. Dialogue begun
    by Fethullah Gulen, a leader of this view, 10 years ago with the
    Phanariot Patriarch, Head Rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey,
    and the Armenian Patriarch and later expanded with Gulen's visit to
    Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was well-received by a large mass of the
    population, in spite of the protests of certain circles and their
    efforts to stir up muddy water. The dialogue dinners during Ramadan
    that were initially criticized were later officially stood up for. And
    these dinners are spreading today as meetings that build bridges of
    peace throughout the world from America to Europe and from Australia
    to Africa.

    When dialogue and tolerance efforts that are continuing among
    peoples both by means of administrations with UN initiatives and the
    exertions of voluntary organizations are remembered, the visit to
    Turkey by Pope Benedictus XVI from November 28th-December 1st looks
    like a milestone. Prime Minister Erdogan's attending the NATO summit
    on November 28-29 should not prevent him from seeing the Pope and
    taking advantage of this opportunity. The Pope will be in Istanbul
    on November 30th. There is still a possibility for this meeting to
    take place. Criticized for his words directed towards out Prophet, the
    Pope's finding an opportunity for self-criticism and his doing this in
    Turkey would be meaningful world-wide. An Erdogan-Pope meeting would
    be an essential answer to domestic and foreign EU opponents allied
    to prevent Turkey's EU membership. There are important historical
    moments that separate statesmen from politicians. The Pope's visit
    to Turkey presents Erdogan with such an opportunity...
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