Turkey's Contributions to World Peace Discussed at Atlanta Conference
An international conference on the "Alliance of Civilizations" during which the role of Turkey in working toward world peace and understanding between cultures was discussed was held between Jan. 29 and 31 in Atlanta.
Dozens of internationally renowned academics attended the conference to underline the importance of Turkey, which they praised for its contributions to world peace and the alliance of civilizations. A number of topics, including "Religion and Peace," "Turkey: A Place Where Cultures Meet," "Harmony and Dialogue between Religions," "Point of View and the Press" and "Religion, Identity and Multiculturalism," were discussed during the three-day conference.
UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon sent a congratulatory message to the conference in which he stressed that the world was in need of dialogue and tolerance more than ever. "The UN aims to build bridges between cultures through such projects," read the message.
Ömer Taşpinar, an academic at the Brookings Institution, argued that Turkey's membership in the EU would not only serve to strengthen the alliance of civilizations but would also foster efforts to curb terrorism.
Cihan TV Network General Manager Abdülhamit Bilici said 53 percent of the Turkish population favors the idea of joining the EU. "Turkey has covered a long distance in the last few years in the fields of economy and democracy. We discussed a wide range of topics in Turkey, from secularism to Islam and from democracy to national identities. Our Kurdish citizens, who were once considered Turks living in the mountains, now have a TV station that broadcasts in their language," Bilici noted.
Participants at the conference expressed satisfaction about the content of the program and stressed the importance of Turkey's role in the restoration of world peace.
"This was a very successful conference. Turkey is a rapidly changing and developing country. There is an incredible dynamism there. I've been visiting Turkey for the last 20 years, and I adore it," remarked Lisa W. DiCarlo, an academic at Babson College.
A former Dutch deputy, Sam Cherribi, said the EU should immediately understand how much it needs Turkey. "Such conferences should be held in Europe as well. Turkey is a modern country, and it has a place in the middle of the world. It is placed at a spot where East and the West meet. I will run in the European Parliament elections next June and will work for the accession of Turkey to the EU if I am elected," he said.
Asma Afsaruddin, from Notre Dame University, said it was right to cite Turkey as an example of the richness of Islamic civilization, adding that Turkey is a country that may set a good example for the alliance of civilizations given the role of different cultures, religions and races in the country. (Sezayi Kalayci, Atlanta)
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