FOREIGN JOURNALISTS AND RESEARCHERS SHOULD BREAK TABOOS ON TURKEY
Today’s Zaman
Sept 17 2009
Turkey
European journalists and researchers must break taboos regarding
Turkey’s image, said SavaÅ~_ Genc, chairman of the board at the
Association of Cooperation with European Countries (AVÄ°DER), during
a fast-breaking dinner in Ä°stanbul on Tuesday.
AVÄ°DER invited foreign journalists and researchers living in Turkey
to a fast-breaking (iftar) dinner. Genc said European journalists
and researchers should change their vision of Turkey. "Foreign
journalists live here, and should not form a parallel society. They
should socialize with our society," Genc advocated.
He also added: "Western elite circles and researchers learn about
Turkey from the same sources. This needs to be changed." Genc said
AVÄ°DER’s aim with the dinner was to help Europeans learn about Turkey
better. Criticizing the recent phenomenon of making some of Turkey’s
domestic problems a tool for the domestic politics of some European
countries, Genc said: "I think Turkey is doing the right thing. It
does its homework. Turkey faces its secret structures. While Turkey is
going through its Armenian issues, democratic initiatives and Ergenekon
case, instead of supporting Turkey in these initiatives some European
states are using Turkish-EU relations as a tool for their domestic
political concerns. Those supporting Turkey’s initiatives will be
welcomed by Turkey in the future and those who use the country as a
political tool will lose Turkey."
A keynote speaker at the meeting, Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) Ä°stanbul deputy Suat Kınıklıoglu, who is also the party’s
deputy chairman in charge of foreign affairs, evaluated Turkey’s
current initiative with Armenia to establish diplomatic ties and
normalize relations. Answering a question about the Turkish-Armenian
normalization process, Kınıklıoglu said it would be highly unlikely
for the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process to succeed as long
as Armenia continues to occupy Azerbaijani territory.