NEW YORK - New York St. John's University honored on Tuesday Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with honorary law doctorate.
Erdogan, who is currently in the United States, delivered a speech during the ceremony.
Erdogan said, ''Turkey's having highly populated with Muslims has not been an obstacle before its active membership to western institutions and organizations. Turkey's completing the process of accession to the European Union (EU) successfully will be a new sign of a Muslim society's adjustment with societies with Christian majority on the basis of joint, universal and democratic values. It will be the first big step to be taken in the beginning of the 21st century in the name of meeting between civilizations.''
Noting that Turkish society was in favor of a modernity which did not exclude tradition by adopting evolutionary change, Erdogan said that he was honored to receive honorary law doctorate from such a valuable scientific center. He added that the philosophy and values of St. John's University made the doctorate more meaningful for him.
Erdogan said that St. John's University gave free research opportunity to 1800 students from nearly 100 nations and it considered diversity as a richness, encouraged mutual understanding, did not reject spiritual issues and took intellectual, ethical and aesthetic values into consideration. He added that another pleasing thing was that Turkish academicians and students were taking part in this diversity. Erdogan said that he felt close himself to this institution because of these reasons.
Erdogan said regarding globalization that today, when globalization was causing changes in domestic policies as well as in relations between all states of the world and in economic dynamics, the societies which did not adapt to new realities would remain face to face with negative results of globalization instead of benefiting from its opportunities.
Noting that Turkey had expressed this view of itself and the favors of democracy and had encouraged change in its meetings with countries and societies sharing Islamic belief in its region, Erdogan said that universal relations developed and principles like supremacy of law, human rights, equality of men and women strengthened in the countries where democratic structures functioned.
Erdogan said that those values were not under the monopoly of a single culture, adding that they were products of the common mind put forth by different civilizations established by human kind.
St. John's University Dean Father Harrington mentioned in his part about Erdogan's political past and beneficial services to Istanbul especially during his term in Istanbul Municipality.
Underlining the efforts of Erdogan for global peace as a charismatic and talented leader, Harrington said that they welcomed the suggestion of Erdogan for Turkey's being a negotiator between Israel and Syria and added that they acclaimed this approach of Turkey.
Harrington said that Erdogan has become the third leader who was honored with honorary doctorate by St. John's University after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
(GC-AÖ) 27.01.2004