My state visit to Turkey - Haaretz

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Last update - 00:31 21/11/2007

My state visit to Turkey

Tags: Israel president

The Europeans are mistaken in closing the gates to a country in which there are Muslims and Muslim parties, but which is not a Muslim state.

When I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, I asked our ambassadors to send me more poems than cables.

In a poem there is, at times, more information than in diplomatic cables and often more hope than just information.

Before I left for a visit to Turkey, I came upon a poem by the Turkish poet, Cahit Sitki Taranci. Its first two stanzas are:

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"I want a country where the sky is blue, the branches are green and the fields are golden, a country of birds and flowers.

I want a country in which there is no desperation
And that in it, there is an end to conflict between brothers."

I am not certain whether Turkey has already become such an idyllic country, yet its face is certainly turned towards attaining this vision. The poem alludes to its devotion and dedication, for over almost a hundred years, to achieving this destiny.

Kemal Attaturk had had the foresight to say, at the beginning of the 20th century, that the future depends on "science and knowledge" and that "the only way to achieve happiness in our lives, is not to serve just ourselves but those who will come after us."

In fact, he dismantled the Caliphates and created a republic. He determined that as important as religion may be, it is not more important than science, and that traditional religion and modern science are not necessarily contradictory concepts. He changed the alphabet, the dress and the life-style in the country and created a modern Turkey, an up-to-date Turkey.

Consequently, Turkey is the most developed Muslim country in the world. It aims to join the European Union and to be just as open and democratic. The Europeans are mistaken in closing the gates to a country in which there are Muslims and Muslim parties, but which is not a Muslim state. We live in a world where there is tolerance for that which is different, and not in an archaic reality of separatism and segregation. Currently, there are approximately a billion and a half Muslims and approximately a billion and a quarter Christians. If there is a country on the Muslim side, which can bring about an accommodation between religions, it is Turkey.

It is a country which seeks political harmony (internally, in the region and in the world), as opposed to Iran, which tries to establish a religious hegemony. We have two alternatives - one which epitomizes freedom and democracy - Turkey, and the other, which nurtures hatred and darkness - Iran. Harmony must be respected, but hegemony must be feared.

Turkey maintains good, open and full relations with Israel and wishes to play a role in the peace process. In doing so, it embraces freedom and serves as an example unto the nations. I witnessed this reality during my visit to Turkey and I was deeply moved.

It has been agreed by us that Turkish and Israeli industrialists will establish an industrial park in the heart of the West Bank, together with Palestinian industrialists - an initiative which will create hundreds of jobs. I am convinced that a job is more important than a rifle. Together with me, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, was invited to Turkey and both of us, alongside the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, and the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, felt that this agreement will promote peace and will improve the economic, political and religious relations between the parties.

We were both invited to address the Turkish Parliament, a unique event in itself, as the Parliament, in its entire history, has only invited eight non-Turkish dignitaries to address it.

For me, as a non-Muslim, to speak in Hebrew to the Turkish Parliament, which is mainly Muslim, was a rare and touching experience. It proved that it is possible, on the road to peace, to leap over many prejudices, so as to attain a true agreement for peace

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1.	The same mistake over and over again	19:15	\|	david	20/11/07

2.	Visit to Turquey	19:19	\|	benjamin Teitelbaum	20/11/07

3.	heard that before	19:26	\|	ravi	20/11/07

4.	Are there more muslims than Christians??	20:27	\|	Bjorn	20/11/07

5.	Israel and the world	20:30	\|	Stefan	20/11/07

6.	Turkey & Islam	20:35	\|	Yuhanna Alqarmidi	20/11/07

7.	our love to Jewish people IS REAL LOVE	22:33	\|	Atilla Karagözoğlu	20/11/07

8.	Turkey is to blame for Arab illitracy	22:53	\|	Al	20/11/07

9.	Atilla, Turks said the same thing to the Greeks	23:31	\|	Jake	20/11/07

10.	david, Turkey is Asia Minor, NOT Europe	23:34	\|	Jake	20/11/07

11.	To President Peres	00:54	\|	Nick	21/11/07

12.	Asia Minor AND Europe	02:49	\|	Gili	21/11/07

13.	visit to Turkey	06:29	\|	barbara radosti	21/11/07

14.	good Hegemony versus bad Hegemony	19:07	\|	Marie	21/11/07

15.	re:#10	00:44	\|	david	22/11/07

16.	agreements	02:18	\|	cassie hershey	22/11/07

17.	The Oppression of Turkish Women	02:30	\|	John Isenhower	28/11/07

18.	Armenian Genocide	13:45	\|	Edward Papelian	05/12/07

19.	Armenian Genocide II	13:57	\|	Edward Papelian	05/12/07

20.	President S. peres and Turkey	14:01	\|	Edward	05/12/07

21.	Proud of what ?	14:04	\|	Edward	05/12/07

22.	Armenian Genocide III	14:06	\|	Edward	05/12/07

23.	This Will Settle This Matter Finally!	04:45	\|	Yosemite	11/12/07

24.	Peres vs, Ahmedinijad	14:44	\|	Rabbi Steve	29/12/07

25.	That is possible !	03:40	\|	Habib	23/01/08

26.	Ahmedinijad is an Iranian, not a Turk	16:04	\|	John I aka Y Gideon	10/03/08

27.	#26 Ahmedinijad is an Iranian, not a Turk	23:09	\|	Alan	16/04/08

28.	state visit to turkey	18:56	\|	ronald gordon	01/05/08

29.	Turkey part of EU ?	00:53	\|	christa	09/05/08

30.	compensation	21:41	\|	lionel levy	22/05/08

31.	Response: Peres vs Ahmedinijad	13:47	\|	Liron	10/06/08

32.	As a Jew, Mr President, quite frankly.........	19:02	\|	Harvey (Chaim)	13/06/08

33.	Turkey	07:00	\|	Sako	01/07/08

34.	President Peres	14:38	\|	Renny	21/08/08

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