ISTANBUL - National Education Minister Huseyin Celik, who attended the 21st Conference of Education Ministers of Council of Europe held in Greek capital Athens, returned to Turkey on Thursday.
Celik staged a news conference in Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.
Celik said that the meeting was held under the titles of ''Management of Differences'' and ''Strengthening Democracy''.
Celik said that he chaired general assembly meeting during which issues of curriculum, education and training of teachers, management of school and final statement were taken up.
Celik said that they emphasized during the meeting that the efforts to teach living together in spite of cultural differences to settle a democratic culture should be increased.
Celik said, ''we expressed that democracy is the value which should be taken into consideration most for the whole of Europe. We have expressed that any ethnical and cultural group should not be marginalized and excluded with globalization process. We have taken up the role of education for the sovereignty of tolerance and dialogue in countries and societies during the settlement of democratic values. It was expressed that cooperation with international organizations especially with Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) should be increased to form a society in which democratic culture and democratic values are sovereign in the Council of Europe.''
Celik said that they decided to hold the next Education Ministers' meeting, which was organized by the Council of Europe once in three years, in Istanbul in 2006.
Celik said that he had a positive meeting with Greek Education Minister to remove expressions reminding grudge and hatred mutually from textbooks of two countries.
Noting that they discussed the educational problems of Turkish minorities, Celik said that they had a very positive meeting.
(GC-UK) 13.11.2003