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PRESIDENT GUL WARNS OF RISING RACISM, DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE
Today's Zaman
Jan 26 2011
Turkey
Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke before deputies from the 47
nations represented at PACE on Tuesday as Turkey took over the
presidency of the European body.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned about the growing pessimism
in Europe that he said was reshaping the continent's political life on
the back of increasing manifestations of intolerance and discrimination
in many European societies.
"Let us not forget that popular support for explicit anti-Semitism
was only 5 percent in the late 1920s. With the snowball effect, this
poisonous minority paved the way for the Holocaust in the late 1930s.
History does repeat itself if we do not draw lessons from our past
mistakes," he said to deputies from the 47 nations represented in
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
"Over the past few years, our member states have been affected by
weakening social ties. Radicalization and increasing gaps between
different religious, ethnic and cultural communities started to harm
the social fabric of our nations," President Gul remarked, adding: "We
must retain confidence in the ability of our democratic institutions
to promote human rights, tolerance, dialogue and social cohesion. We
need to develop a democratic framework for living together."
In an address delivered yesterday in Strasbourg during the winter
session of PACE, the largest and most important European watchdog
overseeing human rights, rule of law and democracy on the continent,
Gul said the Council of Europe has done and continues to do much to
promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between peoples of
different origin, culture and faith living in Europe. "The Council
of Europe has the duty to address and counter these new challenges,"
he added.
PACE President Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu, a Turkish deputy from the district
of Alanya, introduced the Turkish president and said, "It is an
honor and a pleasure to welcome you in this chamber, particularly at
a moment when your country is chairing the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe." Praising Gul as one of the strongest supporters
and defenders of PACE and the values it stands for, CavuÅ~_oglu said,
"As a Turkish politician, you have invested a lot of effort into
promoting democratic reforms in Turkey."
He went on to say progress on democratic reforms is clearly visible.
"The positive result of the recent referendum on constitutional
changes as well as the high turnout show how strongly the Turkish
people are attached to their democratic rights and freedoms and to a
future in Europe. I am sure that with your strong political support,
democratic reforms in Turkey will move ahead smoothly, to the benefit
of Turkish citizens," the PACE president remarked.
President Gul cited racism and xenophobia as representing major causes
of concern in connection with the current economic crisis. "Roma
and travelers, Muslims or Jews, and, more generally, those who are
different, experience hostility and social exclusion in many of
our societies," he said, criticizing governments' tough lines on
immigration. "There is a rise in electoral support for political
parties that portray immigration as the main cause of insecurity,
unemployment, crime, poverty and social problems," he warned, calling
them "pathologies" that are weakening Europe and decimating its soft
power in the world. "We should work hard to defeat these problems
to reassert Europe on the global scene," the Turkish president told
the deputies.
Recalling terror attacks in New York, Madrid, Ä°stanbul and London,
Gul argued that European Muslims have perhaps been more affected than
others by these trends. He said Muslims in Europe are very diverse
not only in their geographical origins and cultural heritage, but
also in their ways of interpreting and practicing their faith. "It is
a misperception to view these diverse communities as a unitary one
defined by religion. This is fundamentally at odds with 'European
values'," he noted.
President Gul emphasized that the perpetrators of these crimes have
nothing to do with Islam. "One should also bear in mind that those
terrorist organizations are attacking many Muslim targets, too. They
do not have achievable political objectives, but rather pursue their
archaic and illicit utopian ideas," he stated. The Turkish president
made the point that Islam, like all other religions, teaches tolerance
and respect for human beings of all faiths. "It is the abuse of faith
for political purposes that leads to intolerance and exclusion,"
he added.
Gul also responded to questions raised by deputies from the 47
nations in PACE. He said there is a "silent revolution" going on
in Turkey in terms of further democratization, admitting, however,
that there are still shortcomings. "We have confidence in ourselves
in overcoming those shortcomings," he added. He dismissed a question
raised by one deputy regarding lowering the 10 percent threshold in
national elections, saying it is simply not possible to amend election
laws in an election year. "Everyone agrees in Turkey, including the
government and the opposition, that we need a new constitution. The
threshold could be taken in that context after the elections," he said,
adding that there is no barrier for independent candidates.
Responding to a question on the restoration of churches in Turkey, Gul
said the Turkish state does not make a distinction between churches,
synagogues or mosques, and they are trying to restore all historic
buildings. He said he believes everyone should be able to freely
practice their own religion, including atheists. "We are removing
all obstacles before that. Some of these problems may be relevant
for the Muslim majority as well," he pointed out.
The Turkish president gave assurances that his country is doing
everything it can to prevent illegal migration to Europe. He warned,
however, that Turkey cannot be a place where all illegal immigrants
are dumped and left to be taken care of by without any help from
other countries. "We need close cooperation," he said. When a German
deputy raised the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) trial issue, Gul
said it is up to the independent court to determine whether terror or
violence is involved. He also informed deputies that defense given
in a mother tongue other than Turkish in the courts is allowed and
currently in practice.
As for minorities, Gul said that if any group is not happy with the
decision of the domestic courts, they can always take a case to the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). He squarely placed the blame
for deteriorating relations with Israel on the Jewish state, saying
Turkey did all it could to help Israel to reconcile its differences
with its neighbors in the past. "The collective punishment of the
Gazan people is not acceptable as confirmed by international bodies.
Many international human rights organizations have tried to help the
Gazans. Turkey did that, too. People from 47 nations participated
in that aid convoy, but Israel attacked them in open waters,"
he explained.
Gul also dismissed the genocide question raised by Armenian deputy
Naira Zohrabyan, saying the Turkish government does not believe
the term can be applied to the incidents during World War I. He
called for the establishment a historical commission to investigate
World War I killings during which Armenians, Turks and many others
perished and asked for all archives to be opened up. Recalling that
he was the first Turkish president to visit Armenia, Gul said Turkey
wants to normalize relations with its neighbor, but the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands must cease. "As long as there are problems in this
area, there will be a wall between Europe and Asia. If we solve these,
the Caucasus would be a great gateway for prosperity," he noted.
From: A. Papazian
Today's Zaman
Jan 26 2011
Turkey
Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke before deputies from the 47
nations represented at PACE on Tuesday as Turkey took over the
presidency of the European body.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned about the growing pessimism
in Europe that he said was reshaping the continent's political life on
the back of increasing manifestations of intolerance and discrimination
in many European societies.
"Let us not forget that popular support for explicit anti-Semitism
was only 5 percent in the late 1920s. With the snowball effect, this
poisonous minority paved the way for the Holocaust in the late 1930s.
History does repeat itself if we do not draw lessons from our past
mistakes," he said to deputies from the 47 nations represented in
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
"Over the past few years, our member states have been affected by
weakening social ties. Radicalization and increasing gaps between
different religious, ethnic and cultural communities started to harm
the social fabric of our nations," President Gul remarked, adding: "We
must retain confidence in the ability of our democratic institutions
to promote human rights, tolerance, dialogue and social cohesion. We
need to develop a democratic framework for living together."
In an address delivered yesterday in Strasbourg during the winter
session of PACE, the largest and most important European watchdog
overseeing human rights, rule of law and democracy on the continent,
Gul said the Council of Europe has done and continues to do much to
promote peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between peoples of
different origin, culture and faith living in Europe. "The Council
of Europe has the duty to address and counter these new challenges,"
he added.
PACE President Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu, a Turkish deputy from the district
of Alanya, introduced the Turkish president and said, "It is an
honor and a pleasure to welcome you in this chamber, particularly at
a moment when your country is chairing the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe." Praising Gul as one of the strongest supporters
and defenders of PACE and the values it stands for, CavuÅ~_oglu said,
"As a Turkish politician, you have invested a lot of effort into
promoting democratic reforms in Turkey."
He went on to say progress on democratic reforms is clearly visible.
"The positive result of the recent referendum on constitutional
changes as well as the high turnout show how strongly the Turkish
people are attached to their democratic rights and freedoms and to a
future in Europe. I am sure that with your strong political support,
democratic reforms in Turkey will move ahead smoothly, to the benefit
of Turkish citizens," the PACE president remarked.
President Gul cited racism and xenophobia as representing major causes
of concern in connection with the current economic crisis. "Roma
and travelers, Muslims or Jews, and, more generally, those who are
different, experience hostility and social exclusion in many of
our societies," he said, criticizing governments' tough lines on
immigration. "There is a rise in electoral support for political
parties that portray immigration as the main cause of insecurity,
unemployment, crime, poverty and social problems," he warned, calling
them "pathologies" that are weakening Europe and decimating its soft
power in the world. "We should work hard to defeat these problems
to reassert Europe on the global scene," the Turkish president told
the deputies.
Recalling terror attacks in New York, Madrid, Ä°stanbul and London,
Gul argued that European Muslims have perhaps been more affected than
others by these trends. He said Muslims in Europe are very diverse
not only in their geographical origins and cultural heritage, but
also in their ways of interpreting and practicing their faith. "It is
a misperception to view these diverse communities as a unitary one
defined by religion. This is fundamentally at odds with 'European
values'," he noted.
President Gul emphasized that the perpetrators of these crimes have
nothing to do with Islam. "One should also bear in mind that those
terrorist organizations are attacking many Muslim targets, too. They
do not have achievable political objectives, but rather pursue their
archaic and illicit utopian ideas," he stated. The Turkish president
made the point that Islam, like all other religions, teaches tolerance
and respect for human beings of all faiths. "It is the abuse of faith
for political purposes that leads to intolerance and exclusion,"
he added.
Gul also responded to questions raised by deputies from the 47
nations in PACE. He said there is a "silent revolution" going on
in Turkey in terms of further democratization, admitting, however,
that there are still shortcomings. "We have confidence in ourselves
in overcoming those shortcomings," he added. He dismissed a question
raised by one deputy regarding lowering the 10 percent threshold in
national elections, saying it is simply not possible to amend election
laws in an election year. "Everyone agrees in Turkey, including the
government and the opposition, that we need a new constitution. The
threshold could be taken in that context after the elections," he said,
adding that there is no barrier for independent candidates.
Responding to a question on the restoration of churches in Turkey, Gul
said the Turkish state does not make a distinction between churches,
synagogues or mosques, and they are trying to restore all historic
buildings. He said he believes everyone should be able to freely
practice their own religion, including atheists. "We are removing
all obstacles before that. Some of these problems may be relevant
for the Muslim majority as well," he pointed out.
The Turkish president gave assurances that his country is doing
everything it can to prevent illegal migration to Europe. He warned,
however, that Turkey cannot be a place where all illegal immigrants
are dumped and left to be taken care of by without any help from
other countries. "We need close cooperation," he said. When a German
deputy raised the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) trial issue, Gul
said it is up to the independent court to determine whether terror or
violence is involved. He also informed deputies that defense given
in a mother tongue other than Turkish in the courts is allowed and
currently in practice.
As for minorities, Gul said that if any group is not happy with the
decision of the domestic courts, they can always take a case to the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). He squarely placed the blame
for deteriorating relations with Israel on the Jewish state, saying
Turkey did all it could to help Israel to reconcile its differences
with its neighbors in the past. "The collective punishment of the
Gazan people is not acceptable as confirmed by international bodies.
Many international human rights organizations have tried to help the
Gazans. Turkey did that, too. People from 47 nations participated
in that aid convoy, but Israel attacked them in open waters,"
he explained.
Gul also dismissed the genocide question raised by Armenian deputy
Naira Zohrabyan, saying the Turkish government does not believe
the term can be applied to the incidents during World War I. He
called for the establishment a historical commission to investigate
World War I killings during which Armenians, Turks and many others
perished and asked for all archives to be opened up. Recalling that
he was the first Turkish president to visit Armenia, Gul said Turkey
wants to normalize relations with its neighbor, but the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands must cease. "As long as there are problems in this
area, there will be a wall between Europe and Asia. If we solve these,
the Caucasus would be a great gateway for prosperity," he noted.
From: A. Papazian