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Statement by H.E Mr. Abdullah gul, Deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Turkey
At the thirty-third session of the Islamic conference of Foreign ministers (Baku, 19-21 June 2006)
Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Mr. Secretary General, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be with my eminent colleagues in this beautiful city. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Azerbaijan for the organization of this meeting and for their warm hospitality. Mr. Chairman, I also wish to extend my sincere congratulations to you, for your assumption of the Chair today, and wish you every success. My special thanks also go to the outgoing Chair of the 32w’ (Thirty second) ICFM, my friend H.E. Al Qirbi, the Foreign Minister of Yemen. I also strongly appraise the efforts of the Secretary-General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin ihsanoglu and his team for their professionalism and dedication. Dear Colleagues, Today, while the well-known threats to international peace and security persist, the need for a genuine dialogue between different civilizations and cultures continue to rise to the foreground. We are dismayed to see that both Islamophobia and anti-Western feelings continue to gain strength. Values common to all are still overlooked. We need to foster and enhance the channels of dialogue between different cultures and religions, ever striving to ensure that common sense prevails. Precisely this need in mind, Turkey has co-sponsored the “Alliance of Civilizations” together with Spain, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General. This is one of the more relevant initiatives that we have at our hands today, and your contributions to this effort will be much appreciated. After all, this Organization’s members should play a foremost role in helping to combat the cluster of prejudices that confront us. Dear Colleagues, As a matter of fact, on this and many other questions, the OIC can be much more relevant and place itself to the center of the evolving trends in the world. Yet, for this to happen, our organization will need our efforts pursuing comprehensive reform. We all acknowledge that reform is no longer a choice but a necessity, if we are to live up to the challenges of this century. But, it is high time to start taking real steps in earnest on the path of reform. Indeed, this is the age, dear colleagues, when our walk towards embracing universal values, which, in fact, find their roots also in the Islamic World, should be steadfast and determined. Dear Colleagues, The Middle East suffers from decades-long territorial disputes, political problems and sectarian violence. Unfortunately, here seeds of hatred and hostility are deep-rooted. Therefore, our collective commitment for restoring peace and security is of crucial importance. Turkey strongly supports a secure, stable, peaceful and democratic Middle East, free from tensions and weapons of mass destruction. The current state of affairs serve nobody’s interest. Turkey is doing everything it could to prevent the current tension regarding the nuclear issue from evolving into a regional and global crisis. Certainly, we prefer this issue to be settled through diplomacy. With this understanding, we continue to make our contributions to the relevant multinational efforts. It is, first and foremost, incumbent upon all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to show flexibility to reach a negotiated solution. In Iraq, there is a difficult task ahead. The pressing goal will be to meet the urgent needs of the Iraqi people to create a prosperous, viable, united, secure and stable country. The new government will have to tackle serious issues, including the amendment of the constitution. We believe outstanding issues could really be tackled only when Iraqi politics leave behind ethnic and sectarian agendas. We are convinced that greater efforts are needed to build an all-embracing political center in Iraq. Turkey is ready to be in close cooperation with Iraq. With regard to Palestine and the Middle East Peace Process, let me be brief and to the point on three important issues which strike me as gaining urgency each day: Firstly, ensuring unity and solidarity among the Palestinians has become more important than ever. They should evade internal divisions. Indeed, the Palestinians breaking into themselves, is the last thing this community of ours would wish to see taking place! Secondly, the Islamic World should find ways to help Palestine in achieving this solidarity. Thirdly, there is no other way for a solution to this problem but two states, living side by side. This is the time to bring the long sought-after solution on the basis of UN Resolutions and the Road Map. On the other hand, the need to address the economic and social problems of the Palestinians remains a priority. On our part, we continue to provide concrete support and aid to the Palestinian side through a structured plan of action. Dear friends, The “frozen” conflicts continue to undermine stability and democratic governance in the South Caucasus. After more than ten years, we still wait for the Armenians to withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territories. As a result, there are almost one million refugees who continue to live under difficult conditions in other parts of Azerbaijan. Other international organizations may fail to see their plight, but our Organization cannot fail to see what has been taking place since more than ten years now. This reality, we cannot ignore! Armenia must adopt forthcoming and constructive policies towards its neighbours, and adhere in full to international law. Turkey, for its part, will continue its efforts to facilitate a solution based on compromise. Dear Colleagues, Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are working hard to achieve a comprehensive settlement for the Cyprus question under the goodoffices mission of the UN Secretary-General and on the basis of the “Annan Plan”. However, the Greek Cypriot side did not only flatly reject the plan of the international community, but they are doing everything to erode the U.N. parameters and the ground that could usher in a solution. As a result, the Muslim Turkish Cypriots are subject to isolation, confining their life in every respect. Indeed, while everybody talks of “globalization” at this age, your brethren in Northern Cyprus continue to live under embargoes. I urge you to heed U.N. Secretary General’s call to ease their plight. Nevertheless, my Government continues to offer constructive initiatives. We declared in January, a package of proposals which envisages simultaneous lifting of restrictions on the free movement of goods, people and services by all relevant parties. This has received positive reactions from the international community, including many OIC member states. We request all OIC countries to give due consideration and support the Plan publicly. Dear friends, The issue of Jammu and Kashmir continues to be one source of concern for the whole world. We strongly hope that a peaceful solution to this question is found as early as possible through dialogue and on the basis of international legitimacy. The nation-building and reconstruction process in Afghanistan are moving forward despite hurdles and difficulties. Turkey stands on the side of its Afghan brothers in their search for peace and stability. We have recently announced our decision to establish a Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Wardak Province this year. I am happy to note that, last year, no less than 500 thousand Afghans visited clinics and hospitals operated by Turkey. Dear Colleagues, Turkey strongly supports the OIC’s active involvement in African issues. We welcome and appreciate the efforts of the African Union to promote peace, stability, democracy and human rights in the Continent. We also share the new vision put forward by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development for the future of Africa. We are ready to contribute to its success. Once again I would like to call on all member states to lend a helping hand to Africa. Distinguished Ministers, The 150 thousand strong Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in Greece still face serious problems in enjoying their fundamental human rights and freedoms. The minority’s ethnic identity is continuously denied. Greece does not recognize the right of the Minority to freely elect their muftis, and appoints muftis against the common will of the Minority. In other areas as well, Greece, unfortunately fails to live up to the contemporary standards with regard to the protection of its minorities. We expect more intervention of the OIC in line with the resolutions adopted by the previous OIC Foreign Ministers Meetings and Summits. Dear Colleagues, My Government attaches utmost importance to its candidature for a nonpermanent seat in the Security Council which will allow us to serve in this important body after many years. As you may recall, the Thirty-First Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Istanbul, in June 2004 adopted a resolution extending support for our candidacy. I would like to thank those OIC members who pledged their support. We hope to receive, in the very near future, commitments of remaining brotherly countries. The undivided support of the OIC is very valuable to us. Dear friends, The Third Extraordinary OIC Summit, held in Mecca in December 2005, identified very important targets for economic and commercial cooperation in the Ten Year Program of Action. One of the main targets is to increase the level of intra-OIC trade to 20 percent by the end of the Program period. It is in this context that the Protocol on Tariff Reduction Scheme (PRETAS) was adopted by the COMCEC in November 2005. The PRETAS has specific tariff reduction targets and a time-frame for trade liberalization among our countries. Here, I would like to invite all the OIC member states to sign the PRETAS at their earliest convenience. Lastly, we propose to host the second meeting of the Forum in Turkey, this year and call on the brotherly members to participate in this activity. Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, In conclusion, I would like to thank you all, and reiterate our gratitude to the Government and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Thank you.
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