BISHKEK (AA) - The International Spirituality Union based in Kyrgyzstan has chosen Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the ``Man of the Year`` in 2004.
``We have decided to decorate Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the award of `Man of the Year` in 2004,`` said union`s chairman Akun Toktosartov.
``Our decision in awarding this title to Erdogan was based on his efforts to generate cooperation between peoples, contribute to mutual understanding and his assistance in developing economic, cultural and friendly ties between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey,`` remarked Toktosartov.
The International Spirituality Union is an organization designed to re-establish moral richness. The union`s former `Man of the Year` awards were presented to Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former UNESCO General Director Federico Mayor, businessman George Soros, International Olympic Committee Chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Among the members of the executive board of the union are Kyrgyzstan`s highly respected scholars, including author Cengiz Aytmatov. Other members include scholars from Turkey, Germany, China, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Russia.
(ES-MS)
2004-12-29