First International Conference Of Islamic Archaeology Starts

ISTANBUL - Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay said on Friday, ''the Islamic archaeology has constituted an era of its own in the history of the humanity of 15 centuries.''
The First International Conference of Islamic Archaeology hosted by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Research Center For Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) started in Istanbul under the auspices of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Making opening remarks of the conference, Atalay said, ''Istanbul has been the symbol of cultural and religious harmony for centuries. Our foreign policy's main target is to create a peaceful and stable international atmosphere for development of the humanity.''
''With its geographical position, historical and cultural ties, Turkey constitutes a momentous bridge serving dialogue and communication among all the civilizations. Turkey's membership to many international and regional organizations reveals the multilateral quality of its foreign policy. Turkey is a member of the OIC on one hand, and a candidate to the European Union (EU) on the other. Turkey hosted a number of significant international meetings during the rule of our government. These meetings unveiled Turkey's strategic importance at a critical junction of different cultures,'' he said.
Atalay stressed that Turkey aimed to increase influence of the OIC under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who was elected as the secretary general of the OIC last year.
Referring to the target of the conference, Atalay said, ''the Islamic archaeology has constituted an era of its own in the history of the humanity of 15 centuries. This conference will enlighten cultural and social history of a geographical region known as the cradle of civilizations.''