ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, ''the death is not a disappearance. In fact, it is a renaissance. I consider Kerem Yilmazer one of symbols of this renaissance and our free life.''
Prime Minister Erdogan attended a ceremony, which was held at Istanbul's Harbiye Muhsin Ertugrul Theater on Saturday out of respect to Kerem Yilmazer, a leading actor who lost his live in Thursday's blasts.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''the death is not a disappearance. In fact, it is a renaissance. I consider Yilmazer one of symbols of this renaissance and our free life. I consider him a salutation to peace and justice.''
''Any bomb cannot disrupt our free life. Our people have paid a heavy price for the sake of our free life. Unfortunately, if we fail to pay this price, we cannot achieve the life we having been longing for,'' he stressed.
Prime Minister Erdogan emphasized, ''merciless terrorism claimed many people including Yilmazer. Terrorism is a process having no legal goals. It does not make discrimination among religious beliefs, nationalities and races. We are obliged to develop a joint understanding and fight against terrorism. We cannot be intimated by terrorism. We can give a sound message against terrorism from this theater hall. I believe that our voice will be the first step of the renaissance.''
Prime Minister Erdogan extended his condolences to families of Yilmazer and the other victims of recent terrorists attacks in Istanbul.
''I bid my last tribute to them in their final voyage. I believe that we all come together again one day,'' he added.
Later, Prime Minister Erdogan observed a minute of silence in front of Yilmazer's casket which was draped with Turkey's red flag emblazoned with a white crescent and star.
CEREMONY IN ISTANBUL PROVINCIAL DIRECTORATE OF SECURITY
Erdogan also attended a ceremony, which was held in the Provincial Directorate of Security on Saturday out of respect to policemen Huseyin Apaydin and Salih Capkin, who lost their lives in Thursday's bombings in Istanbul while working as guards at the British Consulate General.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Erdogan extended his condolences to families of those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks and implored God's strength upon all who were grieving for their beloved ones.
''My words may be ordinary. But, I want to stress that terrorism is a process of reaching legal targets with illegal methods. Terrorism is not an event which has started recently. It cannot be the work of wisdom, understanding and human affection. Terrorism is nothing but a brutality. It is totally irrational. Unfortunately, four out of 57 people, who died in Istanbul, were our citizens who staged these attacks. These people had some connections out of Turkey. We hope that such attacks would never occur again. But, if there are still people aiming at staging acts of violence, our security forces will find them and bring them to justice,'' he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan emphasized, ''I want to underline once again that terrorism cannot prevent or end our struggle for free life. We condemn terrorism in all its forms. Turkey has lost tens of thousands of its citizens in terrorist attacks. I want to stress that we will not allow terrorism to survive. Our security forces and the Turkish Armed Forces will maintain their fight against terrorism till the end.''
(UK) 22.11.2003