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PAN-TURKIC SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL LOOKS TO FOSTER UNIFIED TURKIC IDENTITY
Asbarez
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet)-Delegates from Turkic countries gathered Thursday
in Istanbul at the World Turkic Forum to highlight the common ties
among their countries while promoting steps toward the creation of
a more overarching Turkic identity.
"In a globalized world, we want to spread our message to the world as
Turkic citizens," said Nazim Ibrahimov, Azerbaijan's Diaspora minister.
Participants made many references to the Silk Road and military
conquests in the same breath as goals for the countries to unite
under a common set of values.
"The main target of the forum is to improve our values, expand our
national values and make them international," said Mahir Yagcilar,
the minister of environment for Kosovo, which has a sizeable Turkish
population. "The Turkish Republic is the mainland."
Ahat Andıcan, a former state minister and professor at Istanbul
University, echoed Ibrahimov's call, saying: "In the 21st century, we
will be the part [of the world] that is shaping the world. We should.
We must."
Many proposed that Turkey adopt the role of steward and leader for
the Turkic world. But the idea didn't receive unanimous support,
with some delegates raising issues with the notion.
"Our main problem is that we can't put forward a country as the
regional leader. We lack a regional state that will pile up the
other countries under its roof," said Fazil Mustafa, a member of the
Azerbaijan National assembly.
Turkey, in the past, had been unable to fulfill this role, Mustafa
said, citing as evidence the country's inability to prevent the
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh from breaking free from Azeri rule.
Meanwhile, Hakan Kirimli of Bilkent University said Turkey's most
important task was to first protect the Turkic diaspora within its
own borders, including Tatars, Kazakhs, Turkmens, and people from
the Caucasus, Crimea, and the Balkan area.
He said many of these diaspora groups in Turkey actually outnumber
the population of their groups in their own homelands. "Protecting
those societies means protecting a whole culture."
Pinar Akcali from Middle East Technical University said Turkey's
improving relationship with Turkic countries was partly the result
of its deteriorating relationship with the West and added that such a
trend would give Turkey a chance to develop its relations with other
parts of the world, including the Turkic one.
Although some Turkic countries are performing well economically and
others have the benefit of natural resources, many Turkic countries
are not particularly rich economically, according to Mustafa. "The
21st century, in terms of the economy, will not be a Turkic century,"
he said.
There are also many political problems between Turkic countries, with
Hasan Ali Karasar calling attention to the brutal violence that has
sporadically occurred between the local Uzbek community and ethnic
Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan.
"For four years we have been discussing how to improve inter-Turkic
relations," said Karasar. "Still the government [of Kyrgyzstan]
has not been effective. The Kyrgyz president made some important steps.
Luckily we have stopped the violence - for now."
From: A. Papazian
Asbarez
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet)-Delegates from Turkic countries gathered Thursday
in Istanbul at the World Turkic Forum to highlight the common ties
among their countries while promoting steps toward the creation of
a more overarching Turkic identity.
"In a globalized world, we want to spread our message to the world as
Turkic citizens," said Nazim Ibrahimov, Azerbaijan's Diaspora minister.
Participants made many references to the Silk Road and military
conquests in the same breath as goals for the countries to unite
under a common set of values.
"The main target of the forum is to improve our values, expand our
national values and make them international," said Mahir Yagcilar,
the minister of environment for Kosovo, which has a sizeable Turkish
population. "The Turkish Republic is the mainland."
Ahat Andıcan, a former state minister and professor at Istanbul
University, echoed Ibrahimov's call, saying: "In the 21st century, we
will be the part [of the world] that is shaping the world. We should.
We must."
Many proposed that Turkey adopt the role of steward and leader for
the Turkic world. But the idea didn't receive unanimous support,
with some delegates raising issues with the notion.
"Our main problem is that we can't put forward a country as the
regional leader. We lack a regional state that will pile up the
other countries under its roof," said Fazil Mustafa, a member of the
Azerbaijan National assembly.
Turkey, in the past, had been unable to fulfill this role, Mustafa
said, citing as evidence the country's inability to prevent the
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh from breaking free from Azeri rule.
Meanwhile, Hakan Kirimli of Bilkent University said Turkey's most
important task was to first protect the Turkic diaspora within its
own borders, including Tatars, Kazakhs, Turkmens, and people from
the Caucasus, Crimea, and the Balkan area.
He said many of these diaspora groups in Turkey actually outnumber
the population of their groups in their own homelands. "Protecting
those societies means protecting a whole culture."
Pinar Akcali from Middle East Technical University said Turkey's
improving relationship with Turkic countries was partly the result
of its deteriorating relationship with the West and added that such a
trend would give Turkey a chance to develop its relations with other
parts of the world, including the Turkic one.
Although some Turkic countries are performing well economically and
others have the benefit of natural resources, many Turkic countries
are not particularly rich economically, according to Mustafa. "The
21st century, in terms of the economy, will not be a Turkic century,"
he said.
There are also many political problems between Turkic countries, with
Hasan Ali Karasar calling attention to the brutal violence that has
sporadically occurred between the local Uzbek community and ethnic
Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan.
"For four years we have been discussing how to improve inter-Turkic
relations," said Karasar. "Still the government [of Kyrgyzstan]
has not been effective. The Kyrgyz president made some important steps.
Luckily we have stopped the violence - for now."
From: A. Papazian