An interfaith conference was held this week by the Turkish Prime Minister in a bid to ease out the criticism over its religious intolerance, thus gaining favour for the upcoming European Union (EU) membership talk next week.
According to the Associated Press (AP), around 2,000 Jewish, Christian and Muslim delegates attended the "Meeting of Civilisations" conference in the religiously and ethnically diverse southern city of Hatay in Turkey.Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday to the non-Muslim delegates, "Our differences are not inevitably pushing us toward a clash; they must not."
"To those wishing for a clash of civilisations we must be able to say this: no to a clash of civilisations, yes to an alliance of civilisations," he added, as reported by AP.
Erdogan also commented that the officially secular Turkey with 99 percent Muslim can play a key role in interfaith dialogue, according to AP.
Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Turkey's chief rabbi, the nation's Armenian patriarch and the government's religious affairs minister were present at the meeting. Pope Benedict XVI did not accept an invitation but sent official representatives.
The weeklong conference closed Friday, just two days ahead of the EU membership talk on Oct. 3. The poor human rights record of Turkey, particularly in terms of religious freedom, has been identified by the 25-member bloc as a major roadblock for its membership.
During the conference, Christians were given the opportunity to report on the persecution they faced, according to Reuters' report on Tuesday.
Patriarch Vartholomaios, the Istanbul-based titular head of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians said, "We have difficulty understanding the mentality which sees our rituals as a show of force and our visits (around Turkey) as missionary activity."
Vartholomaios complained the distrust and hostility of the Turkish authorities towards religious groups. "We are upset by the efforts of those who try to make politics out of the Patriarchate and our community... Our Patriarchate is only a religious institution and is interested only in its religious duties," Vartholomaios said to Reuters.Our membership carries great importance with respect to the contribution (it would make) to the future of Europe as well as the Middle East and the Caucasus and particularly to the building of an alliance between civilisations.
Namik Tan, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman
Patriarch Mesrob II, the spiritual leader of Turkey’s small Armenian Christian community echoed the similar comment, appealing for greater understanding and empathy from their Turkish fellow citizens.
Even though Turkey is officially secular, Islam is closely tied up with the national identity. For instance, the national flag bears the Islamic star and crescent moon, and many feel non-Muslims are not real Turks.
