ANKARA - Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay said on Wednesday that Turkey, which hosted many cultures throughout centuries, had an important position in intercultural dialogue.
European Commission Turkey Delegation hosted "2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue".
Speaking at the celebration, Gunay said intercultural dialogue is an exchange of opinion based on respect, and indicated that intercultural dialogue should be based on democracy, rule of law, human rights universal values as well as world peace.
Gunay underlined that intercultural dialogue should turn into a vehicle contributing to world peace.
Gunay recalled that Turkey was a side to EU Culture Program and Istanbul was elected as European Culture Capital City for 2010, and noted that all activities to be implemented within this framework would contribute to intercultural dialogue.
Gunay said Turkey also made important contributions to works carried out within the framework of UNESCO, "we should leave every kind of ideas that will make intercultural dialogue sustainable, course of conducts and policies as well as museums, sculptures and works of arts to next generations," he underlined.
-SLOVENIAN AMBASSADOR-
On the other hand, Ambassador of Slovenia in Ankara Mitja Strukelj said Turkey and Spain, founders of the Alliance of Civilization, made an important contribution to intercultural dialogue.
"The mission we target is not an initiative that will be done only for one time, we aim to turn it into a long term process. We all want to see the intercultural dialogue as a source of new ideas," Strukelj said.
(AY)