Speech of Secretary General at the ceremony held at the Near East University for the conferment upon him Honorary Doctorate degree,

Date: 13/05/2008

SPEECH OF HIS EXCELLEENCY PROF. EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANISATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE AT THE CEREMONY HELD AT THE NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY FOR THE CONFERMENT UPON HIM HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE, 12 MAY 2008 Distinguished President and the Rector of the Near East University, Your Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, At the outset, I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the Near East University and offer my sincere thanks for the very kind and generous words spoken here today about me. It is indeed a great honour for me to accept the conferment of Honorary Doctorate degree from your prestigious University. My personal relationship with this University goes back to my last visit on 19 February 2007 when I was invited to deliberate at “the International Conference on Environment: Survival and Sustainability” organized by this University. I remember that I was impressed at that moment by excellent academic and research qualities and standards achieved by the University and how the dreams of Dr. Suat Gunsel came true over the years as a result of diligent work and dedication. I also remember that I made an appeal from this platform to the universities and the scientific institutions around the world, particularly to those based in the OIC Member States to cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot Universities and to develop ties of fruitful and constructive cooperation with them with a view to helping and assisting in the efforts exerted by the OIC Member States to break the barriers of isolation and siege, unjustly imposed on the Turkish Cypriot Government and its people. I should say that I am fairly satisfied at the level of advancement and development that your University has made. As an academician and life long student, it fills my heart with immense pleasure to see these achievement. Therefore, I am certainly very proud of my association with this institution through the Honorary Doctorate degree conferred upon me today. Besides my academic relationship with the University, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the second largest intergovernmental organization in the world with 57 member states of which I have the honour to lead and steer through the turbulent and often critical circumstances of the first decade of the 21st Century, has close ties with the Turkish Cypriot people for many years. The OIC and its various institutions have been supporting the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots particularly through different programs of cooperation and assistance in multifarious socio-cultural and economic fields. This support and solidarity has been expressed in the 34th ICMF held in Islamabad and in the Dakar Summit. Since my last visit to the island last year, in addition to the important resolutions reinforcing and reiterating the support of the OIC Member States taken at the Ministerial Conference in Islamabad in May 2007 and recently at the Dakar Summit in March this year, many activities took place. The OIC General Secretariat undertook visits and also attended the anniversary program for the proclamation of TRNC. Our specialized organ, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) was encouraged by us to finance infrastructure projects. IDB has also decided to partly finance one of your training workshops titled “Export Auditing and Capacity Building in the SMEs”. Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF) has contributed to your National Center for Research and Archive. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Turkish Cypriot authorities and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) during the visit of ICCI President in November 2007. The Turkish Cypriot State has become an observer to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), another specialized organ of the OIC, following a visit by its Director General. Responding to our call, more OIC member states, particularly some of the Gulf States have extended necessary permissions for the establishment of Turkish Cypriot trade and tourism offices in their countries. Showing similar solidarity, Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning of Guinea, an important OIC member state in Africa, visited Lefkosa in April 2008. One of my advisers accompanied the Guinean Minister. All these are testimony to the fact that the OIC is working relentlessly for the Turkish Cypriot people in a way to establish, flourish and multiply concrete ties of cooperation with the OIC member states and OIC institutions. The OIC is closely monitoring the current developments between the two sides in the island that emerged following the election of the new Greek Cypriot President. We are following the new process between the two parties which hopefully would be laying the groundwork for the full-fledged negotiations envisaged to commence in the middle of summer. We are of the view that this process should aim at reaching a just settlement on the basis of political equality of the two sides. To this effect after discussions with the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban-ki Moon and OIC leaders during the Dakar Summit, I announced my support for the UN initiative towards the peaceful settlement of Cyprus issue. My organization is supportive of any process that leads to lasting and just peace and stability and is optimistic that the current tendency of reconciliation between the two parties would eventually bring about a comprehensive and just solution. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some insights as to the new vision of the OIC, the sole representative of the Muslim world at the international diplomacy level. Our new vision which can be summarized in a few words, as “moderation, modernization, development and solidarity in action” has been concretized in both the Ten Year Program of Action, adopted by the OIC leaders in December 2005 in Makkah and the new Charter, recently adopted at the OIC Summit held in Dakar in March this year. This new vision aims at raising the capabilities of the Organization and powers of the Secretary General so that the Organization can play a more active role in the settlement of political conflicts as well as in addressing peace, security, socio-economic development and humanitarian matters in full partnership with the international community. The action towards realization of the new vision and of all its objectives has already started in earnest since the adoption of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action in December 2005. Within the new parameters, we have been fully engaged in endeavoring to develop road maps and frameworks to implement projects in the fields of conflict resolution, mediation, human rights and good governance, Islam-West dialogue, combating Islamophobia, women, children issues. Emphasize is being given to building capacity at the OIC General Secretariat to develop and implement, in cooperation with the member states, OIC institutions, international organizations and NGOs, concrete projects in humanitarian assistance, food security, sustainable socio-economic development, higher education, health, environment and science and technology areas. We have paid special attention to align the priorities of the Ten Year Program of Action with those of the UN Millennium Development Goals. A fund for eradicating poverty in the Member States has been established with a targeted capital of US$ 10 Billion. A special Program for the development of Africa is being elaborated. Based on our new proactive vision and the requirements of facing the challenges posed by recent international developments, we are doing our best to disseminate the true and correct teachings of Islam while trying to raise awareness regarding the unhealthy climate generated by some extremist elements in the West and the Muslim World who are trying hard to damage relations between the Western and Muslim Worlds. I do not want to dwell here upon our anguish caused by the recent proliferation of denigrating caricatures and films aiming at inciting hatred against Islam and Muslims. However, I would like to stress out that unless a comprehensive joint action plan is adopted and implemented by the leaders of the Western and Muslim countries with a sense of urgency, commitment and political will in order to stop the rising animosity and attacks of incitement targeting Islam and Muslims in the West, we are probably heading towards more troubling times. Without this urgent attention, we would not be able to talk about a healthy dialogue among civilizations, and transforming the dialogue into an Alliance of Civilizations would be an elusive target. In this regard I would like to point out that I have recently been elaborating on my views as to the necessity of redefinition of the European identity in a way to incorporate Islam as a component of this definition. I have also been arguing that with respect to the cultural-intellectual factors, geographical dimension and demographic elements, Islam and Muslims constitute one of the key components of Europe. I sincerely believe that Turkish Cypriots and their academic institutions could play an important role in strengthening this argument, as well as in contributing to the OIC`s efforts aiming at formation of the right conditions and a healthy dialogue conducive to reaching a historical reconciliation between Islam and Christianity. Ladies and Gentlemen, My vision for the future of humanity is a harmonious co-existence in a multi-cultural and multi-faith based international community which would be just and fair for all. Therefore, my mission is always to continue working to the best of my abilities in realizing that vision. But the principal onus rests on the new generation, including students of distinguished educational institutions like the Near East University to face the challenges of this complex world and to turn the course of events using their intellect, wisdom and knowledge towards making the world a better place implanted with universal values and dignity. I sincerely hope that the new vision of the OIC which is upholding solidarity-in-action would also help achieve more cooperation and solidarity between the Muslim World and its Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, in the advancement of their legitimate cause for peace and welfare. Once again I express my thanks and personal gratitude for conferring upon me such a high and prestigious honour by this great University. Thank you.

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