WASHINGTON D.C. - Turkish Ambassador to the United States Faruk Logoglu has reacted to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who described Turkey as an Islamic Republic, and stressed, ''Turkey is a democratic and secular republic.''
Speaking at the 23rd annual conference of American-Turkish Council in Washington D.C., Logoglu said on Monday, ''friendly relations between Turkey and the United States have been continuing for a long time. However, some long-period friends should discover certain aspects of their relations from time to time. Turkey is a democratic and secular republic.''
Logoglu, ''religious and political affairs are completely separated from each other in Turkey. The only reference to religion in the Turkish Constitution is that all citizens' freedom of religion is taken under guarantee. Religion is an individual matter. 90 percent of Turkey's 70-million population is Muslim. However, everyone in Turkey has the freedom of performing their religious rituals in mosques, churches and synagogues.''
Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul also attended the conference.
(UK) 05.04.2004