Opening Speeches

Mahir Namur- President of the European Cultural Association, Turkey

Dear Governor, dear Ambassador, dear guests, welcome.
We would like to say welcome to all guests coming to İstanbul from other lands and cities.

I would have liked to have seen you here yesterday, for last night reflected very well the formation spirit of this Forum. Doctors, art directors, historians, film makers, drama players, engineers, dancers, actors, students and technicians, we came together to line up the chairs you are now sitting on. We have been able to set foot in this lovely room put at our disposal by the History Foundation first after 10 PM. The eight panel discussions, eleven exhibitions and eleven performances to be presented in eleven rooms were prepared altogether with their rehearsal and installing procedures in the course of one single night. The preparations for this Forum have been carried out from the stage of thought to its present state by voluntary cooperation and contribution of numerous people and organizations. I wish to emphasize this aspect of the Forum which I think is quite peculiar.

That’s also the reason why we could take up the challenge to organize this Forum in two months’ time. This is the result of synergy. As of February, we started an Art and Culture Management Program. The objective of this program, was to establish a dialogue between art and culture directors, to bolster communication, to discuss the prospects and problems of the Turkish cultural scene, to enable the flow of information from a generation of experience to its successor, to demonstrate international models and to effectuate a synthesis in the mentioned fields so as to contribute to the enlargement of our cultural scene. This project developed organically. We established here an Advisory Board and consulted them for their ideas. After the beginning of this program, a veritable synergy was observed amongst the young art and culture directors and two months ago we started to organize this Forum together. Up until now, seventy people from thirty countries applied to the Forum. From Turkey, the number of registered participants reached 250. This was made possible without recourse from the media, solely by Internet communication. Hereby I would like to stress the outstanding role of new technologies in cultural communication and cooperation.

Like this Forum and the Culture and Art Management program, the European Cultural Association is an organically expounding organization. European Cultural Association is not a vocational institution. It is a civil society organization constituted of members from various professional activity fields. Our goal in founding this Association was to promote a civil society movement to improve cultural relations between Turkey and European societies. Naturally the thoughts, the knowledge and the experience we had back in the days when we were launching the organization differ greatly from those we have now. That’s because we try to evaluate the experience we gain from the activities we carry out and the projects we put through, the results and information achieved in the course of the conferences and seminars we organized or attended, for the sake of improving our Association. Since we acknowledge the importance of inter-cultural learning in the course of development, we prefer to create a platform, enabling thought production by assembling people from different backgrounds instead of defending one certain point of view. Thus, we define the role of our Association as that of an instrument improving cultural communication and cooperation on national and international levels.

As I stated above, this Forum has been realized by common effort. I would have liked to name every single one of our partners, to thank each of them, but as you too will understand, if you take a look at the hand-outs we distributed and the posters we pinned up, this is indeed very difficult to do. Add to this that those are our institutional partners who have logos, yet we shouldn’t neglect hundreds of contributors who do not have one. On behalf of the Association, I would like to thank everyone who has given us their support in this organization.

We thank you all for coming here, for being with us. Now, I would like to hand over to the Vice President of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department for Multilateral Cultural Relationships, Dear Dr. Şander Gürbüz.

“The Political and Social Dimensions of Turkey-Europe Cultural Relations”

Dr. Şander GÜRBÜZ- Consul, Vice President of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department for Multilateral Cultural Relationships, Turkey

Dear Guests,
I would like to commence my speech by expressing my special thanks to the members of the European Cultural Association who organized “The International Forum on Turkey-Europe Cultural Relations” and to all institutes and institutions that contributed to the realization of this activity. I feel a great joy to address this respectable audience, gathered on the occasion of the Forum. I welcome our dear guests, and wish that their stay in Turkey will be full of pleasant impressions and memories.

The fact that this meeting takes place in İstanbul, a cradle of multiculture where two continents meet, certainly has a special meaning. Founded in the 7th century BC on a strategic point connecting Europe and Asia, Istanbul has served as a capital to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires besides being a city of permanent importance to all civilizations that ruled over this juncture. Thanks to its illustrious past, the “Historical Peninsula” we are on at this moment, embraces in its structure different religions, cultures and communities, their monuments and works of art and has thus found its place in the World Heritage Listing of the UNESCO.

In my speech, I will try to evaluate from a cultural and sociopolitical point of view, the attitude of our country towards Europe in the framework of former and present relations between Turkey and Europe and the contributions to be expected from Turkey within the European Union, after mentioning shortly the main priorities of the Turkish foreign policy as well as its objectives regarding Europe.

Dear Guests,
The Turkish Republic, part of a multicultural global society, leads a multidimensional foreign policy active on all continents, merging the East and the West, the North and the South.

The immediate goal of the Turkish foreign policy is to create a constant peaceful, prosperous regional and international context enabling social development on the base of mutual cooperation in Turkey, its neighboring countries and beyond as well. In order to attain this objective, Turkey follows a conciliatory, righteous and vigorous foreign policy in a very wide spectrum. Turkey is a member of several international organizations, cooperates with the European Union, pioneers in the process of regional cooperation, encourages smooth vicinity relations and economic cooperation, provides humanitarian aid for those under difficult conditions, participates in operations to maintain peace and contributes to efforts aspiring to dissolve conflicts, to reconcile and restructure afterwards.

With its geographical status in the heart of Eurasia and its widely extended historical and cultural bounds, Turkey fulfills the function of a bridge tuning up the dialogue between civilizations.

Turkey has mainly two determining goals as regards to its vision of foreign policy:
The first goal is to integrate with the European Union. Historically, geographically, economically and culturally Turkey is a European country. In this respect, it is natural for Turkey to become a full member of the European Union. An inseparable component of Europe and an efficient actor in the region throughout history, Turkey is attached to the European ideal.

The second goal is the creation of an environment of safety, stability, prosperity, amity and cooperation around our country which is the meeting point of the Balkans, Caucasia, the Black Sea, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea, Central Asia and Europe, all of which have an important place in Turkish foreign policy.

Turkey has rich historical and cultural relations with the abovementioned regions. Our country holds the objective of disposing its historical buildup, cultural bounds and geographical location for the benefit of the predominance of a culture of peace, tolerance and reconciliation both in its vicinity and in the rest of the world by means of a conciliatory, righteous and effective diplomacy.

In this respect, our country ascribes great importance to the development of cultural communication and cooperation on regional and international platforms and participates actively in cultural studies lead by international organizations such as the European Council, the UNESCO and the European Union. On the other hand, housing a massive interaction between the East and the West cultures, Turkey pursues its efforts to convey information to the world regarding its multifaceted artistic and cultural character.

In this regard our Ministry, with the intention of acquainting the European audience with the multicolored history and cultural characteristics of today’s dynamic and modern Turkey -ranging from classical music to present day musical trends, from traditional art forms to contemporary ones- encourages the organization of cultural events, gives support to them and plays a pioneering role when necessary. On this occasion, I would like congratulate our civil society organizations exerting their efforts to support contemporary culture and arts.

Dear Guests,
As you know, Turkish-European relations draw their strength from history. Thanks to cultural interaction and shared common values throughout the ages, a durable affiliation of amity and alliance has been established. Our cooperation covers a considerably wide spectrum of domains comprising military defense, energy sharing, tourism, archeology, war against international terrorism and organized crime, culture, education and finally mutual support in multilateral platforms.
Throughout centuries, there has been a mutual interaction in artistic and cultural fields between Turkey and Europe. The most significant interaction starts particularly in the 15th century. Europe has begun to get acquainted with Turkey through the works of numerous occidental painters travelling in the Ottoman Empire. Amongst these venerable artists we could cite Gentile Bellini, Jean Baptiste Van Mour, Jean Etienne Liotard, Antoine-Ignace Melling, Amedeo Court Preziosi, Ivan C. Ayvazowsky, Jean Léon Gérôme, Fausto Zonaro.

The “Alla Turca” movement in Europe has influenced famous composers such as Mozart and Bizet in the 18th century Europe. The “Alla Turca” movement has had echoes not only in music, but also in architecture, decoration, ceramics, textile and fashion design.
In our century with the rise of globalism, cultural interaction between international actors and civilizations is gaining an increasing importance.

Owing to their historical and cultural background, their traditions and social potentials, Turkey and Europe have the ability to make a positive contribution to developments in this region and beyond as good models of multiculturalism.

A common effort is required to turn into a figure of harmony this continent which has been the cradle of civilizations throughout history. I esteem that a Europe joint with Turkey’s cultural heritage and modern dynamism has a better chance to reflect its values and mission to the rest of the world.

Dear Guests,
With the historical expansion increasing the number of members from 15 to 25 on May the 1st 2004, Europe put an end to its artificial disunity. With this expansion, the Union has shown that it is inclined to unify its common values and beliefs with its new members. Each new member enriches the cultural diversity, the value system and prospects of the Union by the particular elements it holds.

On October the 6th 2004, the European Commission has published the Progress Report comprising a detailed evaluation concerning the political evolution Turkey has undergone since the 1999 Helsinki Summit.

In the Recommendation Paper published alongside with the abovementioned Progress Report, a tripartite strategy has been presented, and a “political and cultural dialogue between civil societies” has been mentioned in the third phase of this strategy. This phase, anticipates a comprehensive reinforced political and cultural dialogue between Turkey and the Union members which will bring the communities together. In course of this dialogue, civil society organizations should undertake an important role and the Union should facilitate this process. The Commission is expected to state soon its propositions regarding the way in which it could support this dialogue.

Gathered in Brussels on December the 17th 2004, the state and government leaders of the European Union have reported with enthusiasm the determined progress of the extensive reform process in Turkey, in line with the report of the Commission and its recommendations and have expressed their faith in the continuation of it. They have come to the conclusion that Turkey has satisfied the political criteria assigned in Copenhagen and have decided that accession negotiations should begin on October the 3rd 2005.

Turkish-European relations thus enter a new era. In this new era, accession negotiations which are going to commence within this year, are of central importance. The success of these negotiations will affirm the determination of the EU in unification of a Europe devoid of artificial demarcation lines. The realization of the European project will merge all Europeans around shared values; promote democracy and unity of the continent. As a result, the fundamental common values of the European Union will be accentuated once again.

As the Union reaches its maturity, it will not be a realistic approach to attach Europeanness to a single geographical zone, to a single system of beliefs, to a single scheme of traditions. The values acquired and the experiences underwent during the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment - which still have great influence today - constitute an underpinning for the willful acceptation of the benefits of cultural diversity by Europe. Then again the European Treaty refers to the importance of “unity in diversity” and names this principle amongst the values defining Europe.

The European mind-set which prefers a modern multicultural social structure to a system of big national states will turn the European continent into a pioneering authority. The breaking of artificial borders will strengthen Europe in realizing its political goals on global basis.

Dear Guests,
For centuries, Turkey has been on a march towards the West. This march has been accelerated by the series of revolutions effectuated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic. As a country which has inculcated the values of the modern world to the heritage bequeathed by the Ottoman Empire, Turkey is a real cultural treasure for Europe.

The presence of about three million Turkish nationals living in Europe points out yet another aspect of the contributions Turkey can make to Europe on a cultural level.

Turkey is a component part of the European system of democratic values and shall contribute considerably to the harmony and dialogue between civilizations in and beyond the European Union. As long as the membership of Turkey in the European Union is not assured, the unification project for Europe cannot be said to be accomplished.

Through the membership of Turkey, Europe will have a stronger strategic influence on international relations and regional developments, for Turkey is a secular country that establishes a network of peace-loving relations on various geographies and is an inspirational model for other regional countries with its pluralist democracy manifesting a will to undertake reforms.

Turkey features a novel facet as regards the basic rights and freedoms, the rule of law, democracy, political, cultural and religious diversity, transparence, responsibility and participation in the free market economy.

Those who follow Turkey closely, observe a relief in political and social tensions, a perpetuation of tolerance and democratic dialogue, an increasing permeation of human rights values in daily life, administrative practices and judicial decrees and a more efficient treatment of corruption and organized crime. At this point, I think it very important to point out that the potentials, virtues and deficiencies of Turkey should be evaluated equitably in order to come up with sound results at the end of the discussions.

In the last years, despite the debates in some member countries, we observe a growing consciousness in the European public opinion regarding the strategic, economic and cultural contributions Turkey will make to the European Union. Indeed, the fact that the economic and social potential of Turkey, far from being a burden constitutes an added value for Europe, has been emphasized by farseeing European statesmen, businessmen and intellectuals.

In this respect, we are happy to see that every hesitation and objection regarding the integration of Turkey with the European Union is immediately refuted by the sound arguments of highly regarded European statesmen, politicians and intellectuals.

At a time when we are facing the clash of civilizations as a real threat, the membership of Turkey, as a country inhabited by a Muslim majority which has adopted western and democratic values, will surely make a major contribution to regional and international stability.

Due to its unique location and the noteworthy relations it keeps up with the neighboring regions, Turkey is in a position to make an important contribution to the intensification of political, economic and cultural relations of Europe within this region. This contribution shall help the European Union to constitute a role model for the countries in this region by virtue of its comprehensive multicultural structure and organization.

It must not be overlooked that this state of affairs has a close rapport with the long-term global identity, benefits and future of Europe. Likewise, instead of making an evaluation based on current short-term elements, Turkey considers this issue from a long-term perspective. The process of Turkey’s integration with Europe has been started with the prospect of mutual gain. This relationship developed and progressed as a result of the faith that both sides have in themselves and in each other.

Turkey, on its way to full admission, is in a position to facilitate the spreading of European values in the region. For with its secular and democratic state structure Turkey is seen as an element of stability in a region of conflicts and potential dissensions. The admission of Turkey in the European Union will contribute to the consolidation of the values that underpin the peace ruling over the European continent and its vicinity.

Turkey’s membership will bring together the West with the Islamic world. Turkey’s membership in the European Union will help prevent and invalidate the destructive attitudes trying to be presented as a clash of civilizations and religions after September 11th by constructing a bridge between the West and the Islamic world.

A harmony created by cultural differences and a reconcilable coexistence of Islam and modernity will be the best reply of the West to the thesis of a Christian-Muslim conflict. In other words, by proving that Christians and Muslims can coexist in the same political and economic unity, the arguments and philosophy of Islamic radicalism and Christian fanaticism will be wholly refuted.

Dear Guests,
To found Europe on a single religious basis will corroborate the theses of those who defend an introversive existence for Europe. Europe should be able to situate itself beyond conservative, continental or regional ambitions and guide international developments.

The unification of Turkey with Europe will induce about 10 million Muslims living in Europe to make a modern interpretation of Islam. It will be an automatic response to the claims which state that the European Union is a “Christian Club”, that it has not been able to construct its universal identity that within the Union there is a rise of racism, etc. With its capacity to mingle Islam and the modern world, Turkey has the high merit of being the sole country capable of having an effect on the negative outlook of the Islamic world on Europe and the West in general.

A European Union expanded with Turkey’s membership shall constitute a model of unity in diversity for other regions of the world. This novel vision will be a proof that diversity and differences can be reconciled in favor of common interest and values. Europe will be able to reflect its values to other regions of the world more effectively by means of contributing to intercultural tolerance and understanding and thus will firm up the strategic force of the European Union as well as its role as an international actor.

Europe has made notable contributions to the history of civilization in scientific, cultural and political domains. In our present day also, Europe is a vanguard of high human values and peace in the world. I strongly believe that a Europe united with Turkey’s cultural heritage and modern dynamism shall better reflect its values and mission to the world.
Thank you.



Barbara HAY- Consul General of Great Britain in Istanbul, Turkey

Good morning, günaydın. I’m afraid that’s about my only word of Turkish. Actually I have three more but they’re not appropriate for right now.

The first thing that I wanted to say was how very delighted I am to be here with you this morning in these very splendid surroundings. It’s a great privilege to be invited to engage with you and to participate in a debate on a subject; European and indeed international cultural relations that is important to me personally and also touches me very strongly on a personal level. As a diplomat, in a sense I’ve been on the frontline of cultural relations for over thirty years. I have to say that it does not give me any personal pleasure to admit to the fact that it’s been over thirty years. Inside I still feel like a 22 year old. My day to day work -and I served in Russia, South Africa, Central Asia, North America, London and now Turkey- is of course meeting people that have different views, a different culture; it’s the business of forging relationships, influencing people, learning from them, doing business with them.

But that exposure to different cultures goes even further back to my childhood in Scotland; in what was then a rather state monoculture. People growing up in Turkey in the twenty first century can’t I’m sure imagine what it must have been like to be growing up in 1950’s Edinburgh. It was not very far after the Second World War had ended. Life was still pretty austere but I can remember extremely vividly the huge excitement every August when the Edinburgh International Festival came to town. This remarkable cultural event was piloted if you like immediately after the war. It was a tool to bring much damaged European countries together to build bridges, to make friends, to influence each other. And it has now a staggering size. It still brings world-class artists from around the world to Edinburgh for three weeks in the summer. It also brings at its fringe about a thousand artistic groups and students, young people, semi-professionals. They play in any venue that they can find, they play on the streets. The vivacity of the city is simply unbelievable. And as a youngster, as a five year old, a six year old, a seven year old, the influence that had on me was profound, it was quite immense.

This was a quite different cultural relationship that I had with the one delicatessen that we had in Edinburgh. It was started also in 1940’s by an Italian family. And I can remember as a little girl, the wonderful experience of the smells of this deli and the sausages and cheeses hanging from the ceiling and the tastes and flavors that I could not hope to have imagined otherwise. So you can see how an exposure to culture in different cultures has set me up for the rest of my life, professional life.

So the diversity of these experiences makes them all very personally rewarding. But the debate on cultural relations is absorbing because actually it reaches beyond personal experiences and it touches the very highest level of politics too. It can do this in two different ways. Firstly and most obviously it’s through the tangible human gifts of the arts, science and sport. These are cultural items that we can grab and point to for the impact they have made and are still making nationally and internationally. They help change mind-sets, create new understandings, effect politics, change the political landscape. There’re many examples that we can draw on: the works of Voltaire, Jonathan Swift, Karl Marx, the findings of Einstein, Pasteur, Steven Hawking or the really fundamental effect of the Football World Cup, the Olympic games, even the Eurovision song contest in İstanbul last year. And what is so extraordinary is the acceleration, the speed. How much we’re all influenced by the books we’re all reading internationally whether it’s Harry Potter, Orhan Pamuk or the Economist, the films we watch, the television we’re drown to… I wonder how many of you like me set up for much of the night watching the live coverage of the British general election. But the second is much harder to see but potentially in the twenty first century much more important: it’s the role played by the individual, each one of us with the world wide web at our fingertips. Millions of people every day from different countries and cultures are making contact with each other around the world. They’re sharing ideas, they’re buying things, they’re selling things, they’re moving things around, they’re moving ideas around, they’re learning, debating, supporting, criticizing; in a sense it’s the Silk Road of the twenty first century. And we’re all now unimaginably more joined up than we could have dreamt of even a few years ago, whether it was people here in Turkey not knowing a huge amount about countries like my own at the other end of Europe or countries like mine not knowing much about the wider world. Millions of people from around the world are sharing ideas and wanting to move things around and move ideas around that really grips politics and politicians at the highest levels. The drivers and the driven in a sense are now almost indistinguishable. So what remarkable tool therefore are our cultural relations however they’re carried out, such a powerful political vehicle for promoting diversity, understanding and those ideas.

The previous speaker has referred already to the European Council, the third pillar. And I’m really very happy to have seen the European Council decision, a commitment to strengthen that third pillar in EU-Turkey relations as part of Turkey’s bid to join the EU. The initiative intends to strengthen a civil dialogue between EU members and Turkey. And it will allow the people of Turkey and the countries of the EU to understand better the benefits of coming together. In a sense, you have to learn the benefits but what the third pillar is doing is in a sense to kind of impose a vehicle for creating the benefits for us all. But for me I have to say, it’s less important whether this civil dialogue, this cultural relationship develops with the direct support of governments or whether it happens organically by the Internet, business links and the exchange programs which are already happening. Of course it has to be both. But the interesting thing now about the EU is that there is not a dictatorship of ideas. We can all feel as though we have something to contribute and that’s where people like yourselves are terribly important in this debate.

The other thing of course that makes me particularly interested in what we’re talking about today is that UK takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU on the 1st of July. I’m rather horrified that it’s only weeks away, I feel as I’m not quite ready for it yet. And I expect that we as the President of the Council, will certainly be looking to further this new EU initiative to foster closer civil society dialogue with Turkey and to broaden and deepen our cultural relations.

So, why is it important to broaden and deepen cultural relations between Turkey and the EU? I actually think that you all know the answers and they have been very cleverly articulated by my earlier colleague. To build a stronger cultural relationship with Turkey means a better understanding of the benefits of coming together. This is a very live example of how cultural relations are directly linked into politics. I’m looking forward to see European Commission’s proposals on developing this civil dialogue in the coming months. And one thing I want to say again as an individual coming from where I do, coming from that small nation of Scotland which would fit into Istanbul three times: I wanted to say that on a personal level, being a British European does not make me any less Scottish nor does it dilute our extraordinary culture; our dance, our music, our poetry, our language, our bagpipes. Indeed it has become a passport to us into Europe and into the world beyond. Our cultural identity I would say has actually strengthened rather than been diluted. So I’m always very sad when I hear people talk about the risks that they might face from closer integration. Closer integration does not mean that we are going to lose out but it does help of course to market ourselves better. And I don’t see that as a bad thing. I see that as rather a healthy participation in an integration into European process. And I think that’s something that we need to encourage or perhaps to think a bit more about. I can well understand people here who perhaps disagree with me quite fundamentally on that but I put forward an opinion for what it’s worth as something that people might find valuable to think about from a personal experience and a personal perspective. And indeed much of the work of the British Council, the organization in Britain with which you’re all familiar I’m sure, is predominantly responsible for developing cultural, educational, scientific links. There’re few examples that I’ve brought along for you. At a very fundamental level, the Council is working on schools’ links; promoting virtual contacts and face-to-face exchange visits between schools in Turkey and the UK. They’re obviously managing scholarship programs. And these are terribly important for young people to travel, learn, absorb and feel new experiences. Science links encouraging professional relationships between organizations in Turkey and the UK to promote innovation in science and to raise public awareness of such important issues as the environment. They’re involved in active citizenship projects, media development, sports programs, civil society. All these things, I can’t do sitting in my own consulate. But the Council with its network of people using via my colleagues as a vehicle, as a supporter, as a helper are doing an enormous amount. So the purposes of my being here this morning was not about the importance of all these things. I just wanted to give you a few landmarks, ideas, thoughts to take away and think about for the rest of the day and tomorrow. As a diplomat I just want to conclude by saying that of course I understand and appreciate the value, the contribution that cultural relations brings to politics and to reiterate that better understanding we need better cooperation, better trade, a safer and more just world. It’s my bread and butter, if I didn’t take that personal interest I couldn’t do my professional job. And so for that reason I wanted to say it’s been a pleasure to speak to an international audience this morning about cultural relations. I look forward to continue the debate and to leave you with the thought that you don’t actually know, none of us knows how many people were influencing in the kind of work we do, the cultural environment in which we operate, the influences that we are extending. Think of that little girl who was five, six or seven, who learned first of all about the richness of arts’ events, about the deliciousness of food, about the wonders of travel, the greatness of ideas that other people had and she could share. Thank you very much for your attention.

Mahir Mamur- We would like to thank Barbara Hay for sharing her views with us. As you all know, one of the objectives of this Forum is to introduce culture and art directors to each other. To this effect, we have organized long lunch breaks during which you can spend your time in the cafeteria. We also prepared an artistic program for our visitors to present the works of Turkish artists living in Turkey and in Europe. Thank you very much.