ISTANBUL - Israeli Parliament Speaker Reouven Rivlin said on Tuesday, ''there is only way: we should fight against terrorism till the end. We came to Turkey to reveal this purpose.''
Together with former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, MP Rabbi Eliyahu Yishai and Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Pinhas Avivi, Rivlin, who came to Turkey following Saturday's twin bomb attacks on Istanbul's two main synagogues, held a press conference.
Noting that they came to Turkey upon an extremely tragic event, Rivlin said that they wanted to reveal their support to Turkish people.
''There is not any discrimination among victims of terrorism. We have seen it once again during today's ceremony which was held with the participation of Turkish Armenians Patriarch Mesrob II and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew,'' he said.
Stressing that people, who have to fight against terrorism should come together, Rivlin noted that terrorism does not discriminate any religious beliefs.
Referring to September 11th events in the United States, Rivlin noted that people understood that terrorism could hit anywhere in the world, adding, ''they understood that there is no way out. Actually, there is only way: we should fight against terrorism till the end. We came to Turkey to reveal this purpose.''
Describing Judaism as a religious belief and a national identity, Rivlin told reporters that Jewish people in different countries had always considered themselves a part of those countries.
When asked whether or not these acts of terrorism could provide closer relations between Turkey and Israel, Rivlin said that setting up closer relations between the government was always possible, but the most important thing was to set up ties between peoples.
Upon a question on ''Islamic terror'', Rivlin said that the al-Qaida terrorist network did not have any direction, reminding that similar attacks were staged in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the past.
''All these attacks reveal that they do not act in line with their thesis. It is nothing but terror. Such acts of terrorism harms Muslim people as much as Jewish people. Sabotage and terrorism target the free world. Some of these acts target Jewish people while the others target someone else. Jewish people know that these are not the real feelings of the Islam. I have a great respect to the Islam and Koran. My father translated the Koran into Hebrew. There have been relations between our peoples since the Ottoman Empire era,'' he added.
(UK) 18.11.2003