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TURKISH FM IN LANDMARK VISIT TO MINORITY LEADERS
Hurriyet Daily News
March 5 2012
Turkey
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visits Turkey's minority religious
leaders over the weekend, emphasizing regional peace and equal rights
for all
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu paid landmark visits to
Turkey's minority religious leaders in Istanbul on March 3, discussing
regional problems in the Middle East as well as underlining the
importance of dialogue, religious freedoms and equal rights.
The visits marked the importance of dialogue between Muslims and
Christians and other religious groups amid ongoing tensions between
Muslims and Christians in the Middle East and the Balkans, sources
from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Hurriyet Daily News on March 4.
Davutoglu first received Deir Za'faran Monastery Metropolitan Saliba
Ozmen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul. During the meeting with
Ozmen, Davutoglu stressed the importance Turkey attached to dialogue
in surrounding countries, reports said.
Davutoglu later visited Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew in the
patriarchate in Istanbul's Fener district, and the two later held a
press meeting.
"We are going through a transformation in the Middle East. Turkey's
peace is related to the peace of its surrounding countries. We are
giving high importance to all religious communities in the region to
be in peace," Davutoglu told reporters.
Bartholomew, meanwhile, expressed his pleasure with Davutoglu's visit
and said it was important that all religious minorities in Turkey
live together in peace.
"We have told Minister Davutoglu that we pray for the health of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan daily. Erdogan's health is important
for not only Turkey but global peace as well," Bartholomew added.
Bartholomew and Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation head Kuryakos
Ergun visited Turkish Parliament on Feb. 21 and made a presentation
regarding Turkey's new charter talks.
"Davutoglu's visit in fact focused on Bartholomew because he wants
him and other Christian religious leaders to play a role in the Middle
East. His real aim it to reach the Christian communities in the Middle
East through Bartholomew," Laki Vingas, the spokesman for Anatolian
Greek foundations and a member of the Foundations General Council,
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Following the press meeting, Davutoglu continued his tour and paid
visits to the acting Turkish-Armenian Patriarch Aram AteÅ~_yan, the
Ancient Syriac Community's Metropolitan Yusuf Cetin and Chief Rabbi
Ä°shak Haleva and spoke about equal rights.
"For us the rights of all our citizens are equal. Together we will
overcome the prejudices that are contradictory to this big culture
that Turks and Armenians built together," Davutoglu said following
his meeting with AteÅ~_yan.
AteÅ~_yan said it was the first time a Turkish government remembered
their community and said Davutoglu's visit was very meaningful.
The visits took place at a time when Christian groups in the Middle
East feel worried about their future during the Arab Spring, and
it is normal for Turkey to be involved in such an undertaking of
continuing dialogue with minority religious groups, the Foreign
Ministry sources said.
Daily News reporters Vercihan Ziflioglu and Ä°pek Yezdani contributed
to this report.
Hurriyet Daily News
March 5 2012
Turkey
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visits Turkey's minority religious
leaders over the weekend, emphasizing regional peace and equal rights
for all
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu paid landmark visits to
Turkey's minority religious leaders in Istanbul on March 3, discussing
regional problems in the Middle East as well as underlining the
importance of dialogue, religious freedoms and equal rights.
The visits marked the importance of dialogue between Muslims and
Christians and other religious groups amid ongoing tensions between
Muslims and Christians in the Middle East and the Balkans, sources
from the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Hurriyet Daily News on March 4.
Davutoglu first received Deir Za'faran Monastery Metropolitan Saliba
Ozmen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul. During the meeting with
Ozmen, Davutoglu stressed the importance Turkey attached to dialogue
in surrounding countries, reports said.
Davutoglu later visited Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew in the
patriarchate in Istanbul's Fener district, and the two later held a
press meeting.
"We are going through a transformation in the Middle East. Turkey's
peace is related to the peace of its surrounding countries. We are
giving high importance to all religious communities in the region to
be in peace," Davutoglu told reporters.
Bartholomew, meanwhile, expressed his pleasure with Davutoglu's visit
and said it was important that all religious minorities in Turkey
live together in peace.
"We have told Minister Davutoglu that we pray for the health of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan daily. Erdogan's health is important
for not only Turkey but global peace as well," Bartholomew added.
Bartholomew and Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation head Kuryakos
Ergun visited Turkish Parliament on Feb. 21 and made a presentation
regarding Turkey's new charter talks.
"Davutoglu's visit in fact focused on Bartholomew because he wants
him and other Christian religious leaders to play a role in the Middle
East. His real aim it to reach the Christian communities in the Middle
East through Bartholomew," Laki Vingas, the spokesman for Anatolian
Greek foundations and a member of the Foundations General Council,
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Following the press meeting, Davutoglu continued his tour and paid
visits to the acting Turkish-Armenian Patriarch Aram AteÅ~_yan, the
Ancient Syriac Community's Metropolitan Yusuf Cetin and Chief Rabbi
Ä°shak Haleva and spoke about equal rights.
"For us the rights of all our citizens are equal. Together we will
overcome the prejudices that are contradictory to this big culture
that Turks and Armenians built together," Davutoglu said following
his meeting with AteÅ~_yan.
AteÅ~_yan said it was the first time a Turkish government remembered
their community and said Davutoglu's visit was very meaningful.
The visits took place at a time when Christian groups in the Middle
East feel worried about their future during the Arab Spring, and
it is normal for Turkey to be involved in such an undertaking of
continuing dialogue with minority religious groups, the Foreign
Ministry sources said.
Daily News reporters Vercihan Ziflioglu and Ä°pek Yezdani contributed
to this report.