JOURNALISTS AND WRITERS FOUNDATION ACTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH TURKEY’S INTERESTS
Zafer Ozcan
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 26 2007
The Journalists and Writers Foundation has celebrated its 10th
anniversary. The foundation, established in January 1994, by a group
of journalists and writers, including Fethullah Gulen,
has realized many national and international activities in accordance
with its mission, that is, to promote communal consensus and global
peace.
The foundation, introducing itself with the tolerance awards it gives
to people from different sectors, under the framework of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Tolerance Year, has also started ‘dialogue iftars’ (evening meals
during Ramadan),’ that many civil and official institutions support.
At a time when nobody considered making dialogue with Jews and
Christians, the foundation took important steps in this regard. It also
backed world peace efforts. The Abant meetings are the most conspicuous
activities of the foundation. Apart from the Abant Platform, that
conducted its activities in Turkey for six years and then expanded
abroad, the Eurasia Dialogue Platform and Intercultural Dialogue
Platform are also organizations being closely watched by the whole
world. While the former is a meeting point of Eurasian intellectuals,
the latter focuses on intercultural dialogue.
Naturally, some questions arise about the foundation realizing
international activities with such great costs. We asked President
Harun Tokak about the foundation’s 10-year process:
You have carried out activities not seen in the branches of Journalism
and Authorship. Why such a choice?
Job institutions such as, the Journalists’ Association of Turkey
(TGC), dealing with job applications and the problems encountered on
that issue, is already in existence. We considered it unnecessary to
do the same thing. I say this here to explain what triggered us to
establish such a foundation, not meaning that we will not be tackling
the problems and the projects of the employees.
What was the deficiency in you opinion?
The journalists and authors are from the intellectual section
of society. To a certain extent, they present this intellectual
accumulation through the media. However, looking at the process the
world is going through, we see that what countries like us need is
not only thousands of years of accumulation, but also other factors
contributing to the process. The presentation of views by the media
was not enough for us. We felt that people with different views and
different beliefs reflect the richness of our country and should
unite physically. We wanted to stress the importance of talking face
to face and sharing the same places.
Have you reached your goals?
At the opening session of the foundation’s establishment, our honorary
President Fethullah Gulen said: "Turkey will not give up on democracy,"
and this remark gained unexpected publicity. This not only showed
the need for democracy in Turkey but also elucidated the fact that
religious sects do not consider democracy as a hurdle before Islam. We
need to recognize and embrace each other. On the 11th of February,
1995, during the iftar we gave at the Polat Renaissance Hotel, people
from different sects constitued a colorful picture. On January 4,
1996, our foundation gave ‘Tolerance Awards’ on the occasion of the
‘Tolerance Year.’ The corroboration was such that the whole Turkey was
excited. For instance we organized a World XI versus Turkey XI match to
draw attention to the tragedy in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The proceeds from
that game were sent to three Turkish schools in Bosnia. Children from
Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia are now being educated at these Turkish
schools. We are sure that these children will not make the mistakes
their fathers made.
The foundation generates anti-theses against the clash of civilizations
and organizes meetings on civilization dialogues. Why do you focus
on these issues? Is it because you feel a possible clash may also
happen in Turkey?
Yes, during that period the study thesis was very intense. On one hand
there was the clash of civilizations thesis, and on the other hand,
the polarizations in Turkey. For this reason we organized the first
international meeting under the name, "From Clash of Civilizations
to Dialogue." Both native and foreign, so many scientists delivered
messages of global peace and consensus. But the main issue we
focused on was the problems our country was encountering. There
were issues that would cause tension in Turkey as our people took
different sides in the Turk-Kurd, Alevi-Sunni, secular-anti secular
conflicts. Fortunately, these problems no longer exist in that
dimension. During those years, the differences between cultures
were exaggerated on purpose. This communal psychology made the Abant
meetings known publicly. The need to discuss our country’s problems
emerged. A great many people, from atheists to theologians, from
liberals to nationalists, participated in the first Abant Meeting
that was held in 1998. The meetings lasted for six years, and this
year it expanded abroad. The intitution’s founding president is
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aydin, currently a state minister. Carrying the
meetings to the international level was proposed at the last Abant
Meeting. The Advisory Board then made a decision in accordance with
this proposal. We held the first meeting abroad in Washington, the
second will be held in Brussels in December, before Turkey gets a
[negotiation] date from the European Union (EU).
Your interregional activities have been widely supported by a
substantial part of the society. Why do you give so much importance
to these relations?
There may naturally be people criticizing, not appreciating and even
considering the activities not enough. The important point here is
that if we are to attain global peace, we should not overlook the
religion fact. If peace and consensus among religions are ensured,
international relations will also improve. We invited the Armenian
patriarch to our iftar dinner; now every year the esteemed Patriarch
Mesrob II invites Muslims to iftar meals himself. In 2000, we held the
"Forefather Abraham Symposium." in Harran and representatives from
the three Abrahamic religions came together at this symposium.
These meetings are of paramount importance, since they also play a
lobby role in the EU. Even Mesrob went to the EU and drew attention
to the importance of Turkey being a member of the Union. Global
peace and Turkey’s interests are closely related with dialogue and
consensus among religions. Turkey wants to compete with the modern
world, but before that, it must structure the bridges between the
sects in society. Our ultimate goal is to make contributions so that
Turkey achieves its targets.
Many institutions, after a while, have supported some of your
activities. Now everybody gives iftar meals. What do you think about
this? Do you feel disturbed?
No, we certainly do not feel disturbed. Anyway, we do all these things
in order to make our culture known. This is our aim , and the process
shows that we are following a correct procedure. The dialogue efforts
should be supported. These activities should be more widespread
through conscientious efforts.
You have made Abant Platform known internationally by carrying it
abroad for the first time. Did the Abant meeting in Washington catch
up with the same level as that of Turkey?
World-renowned academicians, Esposito and Fukuyama took part in the
meetings. The academicians from the United States know Turkey and
Middle East very well and speak Turkish fluently. Apart from Kemal
Dervis, (former Turkish economy minister), the permanent Abant
participants came to the meeting on behalf of Turkey. I observed
that the culture of dialogue and consensus that we call ‘Abant Soil’
was spreading in Washington.
Some commentators say the US hosted these meetings in order to realize
its dreams of a Greater Middle East Project. Did Washington Abant
serve the aims of the United States in the Middle East?
We never accept claims of this sort. Because by the time we made a
decision to hold the Washington Abant Meeting, there was no such
issue as the Greater Middle East Project. State Minister Mehmet
Aydin gave an important lecture at that meeting. Aydin, evaluating
the Greater Middle East Project, said more or less the following:
"If this a project to unify the Middle Eastern countries, the
democracy tree cannot be planted by force. Democracy will come to
the Middle East through will power." I personally agree with Aydin
on this point. Another participant, Mithat Melen, said: "Turkish
intellectuals paid their own money to tell the Americans something.
Since the Americans and Europeans invited us, we went to talk." This
comment is important as it explains the aim of the meeting. In all
our activities, the interests of our country and nation come first.
As an international organization, we have a say on the issue of the
Greater Middle East Project, and we are for the interests of Turkey.
You work on a line extending from the US to the Middle East and send
many people abroad. How can you finance these activities?
This is a question asked frequently. This was a topical issue
especially when the last Abant Meeting was held. Comments that we
were financed by a U.S.foundation and about our honorary President
Fethullah Gulen were made. It is true that we stage big organizations,
but our main financial support comes from the sponsors. We find
sponsors for all the organizations we make. The official institutions
also contribute sometimes. For example during the tenure of esteemed
Istemihan Talay, we received support from the Culture Ministry. We
have also applied to the present ministry, and expect a reply from
them. And about the incomes of our fund. We organized the Washington
Abant and Mardin meetings with our own incomes. Anyway, the Anatolian
people’s generosity saves you from many expenses. This is our cultural
richness. It is not true that we pay the people we take there. These
claims are false. For instance, the journalists who send their news
reports pay from their own pockets. Besides, the university students of
John Hopkins themselves paid for the conference room. The total amount
we paid for the meetings was US$50,000. We could afford this through
our foundation’s incomes. In addition, the budget of the meeting held
in Mardin was US$100,000 in all. Apart from the sponsors’ assistance,
we make up the rest from the foundation’s incomes.
Fethullah Gulen is being talked about frequently. What is the relation
between Gulen and your foundation?
Our relations with Gulen is always a discussion issue. The esteemed
Gulen was among the founders in the early years. Then he became the
honorary president. All the relations with him are as such. We run
our work as platforms, as intercultural platforms, the Abant Platform
and the Dialogue Platforms. These platforms work independently.
Namely, the decision mechanism is not Gulen, but the board of
presidents. It decides on the time and place of the meetings. People
with different kinds of beliefs take part in the Advisory Board.
The foundation gives importance to unifying people from different
origins and different beliefs. Do the opposing views disturb you?
Let alone disturbing, they are good for us. This is the very positive
side of the meetings. Our aim is to make people of different beliefs
come together and talk. This was not possible 10 years ago, but today
it is considered natural and an ‘Abant Soil’ has come to Turkey.
It is interesting that different cultures come together and talk about
country issues. What is the reason that makes you reach a consensus
so easily?
Of course, consensus does not come easily. Many problems exist. For
example, in the first Abant meetings the debates were very tense.
People were even offended. Some of them even left the meetings, there
was a war of words. However, in the end we saw that it difficult
to be in the same atmosphere and maintain our differences, but it
is not impossible! We witnessed that every section can come around a
table and discuss at high intellectual level. The first Abants and the
ones that followed were different because of this. In my opinion, the
barriers between people collapsed. We have learned to live together.
All the enterprise and efforts are for the furtherance of our country.