Turkish and German FMs kick off quest for "intercultural dialogue"
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Turkish and German foreign ministers Abdullah Gul and Frank-Walter Steinmeier have come together to call on cultures to bridge, with the two holding a press conference yesterday in Istanbul prior to the first meeting in the "Ernst Reuter Enterprise for Intercultural Dialogue and Understanding."
Speaking at Istanbul's historical Esma Sultan Yali, German FM Steinmeier said "These two countries have been cooperating for a long time now. The decision by the EU to enter into full membership talks with Turkey did not descend from the sky in a woven basket. This decision is based on mutual benefits. We want to support Turkey on this road, and we are decisive on this matter. The decision to hold this meeting at the Esma Sultan Yali was very right. Nothing could better demonstrate the fact that Turkey is a link between Europe and Asia than this building, which represents the unity of a mosque, synagogue, and church."
Turkish FM Gul also spoke, noting "This is not just an enterprise between governments, but in fact between peoples. For hundreds of years, mosques, synagogues and churches have stood side by side on the soil of this country. For these same hundreds of years, people have been living on this soil together, and everyone can live out their own identity, religion, and language freely. And while this should be easier than ever these days, sadly, we run into difficulties on this matter....."
The two ministers took time to make statements in reference to Turkey's EU quest. Said Steinmeier:
"There are mutual benefits for both of our countries....the talks will go on." Gul noted "We must never focus on the negative....and the important thing is not walking a straight and flat asphalt road. I have always said that this road would be one with many ups and downs."