PARIS, Jan 9 (A.A) - Paris based UNESCO took action after the annihilation of the historical Ottoman Al Jihad Castle in Mecca by the Saudi Administration.
Acting on Turkey's warning, UNESCO asked for detailed information from Riyadh.
UNESCO Deputy General Director in charge of culture Munir Bouchenaki said they were saddened by the annihilation news of the castle and waiting for an answer from Riyadh.
Bouchenaki said that Saudi Arabia didn't include Al Jihad Castle on its cultural heritage protection list therefore UNESCO couldn't interfere directly.
He said they would decide what to do after they receive a reply from the Saudi Administration. He also added that a delegation from UNESCO could visit the area where the castle used to be if Riyadh agrees to cooperate.
Saudi Arabia had signed an international agreement to protect cultural works of architecture in 1978.
DEMOLITION OF AL-AJYAD FORT IN SAUDI ARABIA TAKEN UP AT PARLIAMENT
Political party groups at the Parliamentary General Assembly condemned on Wednesday demolition of the Ottoman-era al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Osman Muderrisoglu of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said that the Ottoman sultans had carried out important works for Mecca and Medina, and added, ''in return, Saudi administration has assumed a negative attitude againts Ottoman-era works. Foreign Affairs Ministry and Culture Ministry should launch initiatives for protection of Turkish historical works abroad.''
Mehmet Saglam of the True Path Party (DYP) said that Saudi Arabia's attitude contradicted with teachings of the Islam. He said, ''when Sultan Selim I entered Mecca, he announced that he would not rule the city, but would serve it.''
Ibrahim Yavuz Bildik of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) said, ''historical works are the cultural assets of the humanity. Saudi administration is not demolishing Ottoman-era works, but humanity's cultural assets. Both Turkey and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) should take action as soon as possible.''
Bulent Akarcali of the Motherland Party (ANAP) said, ''Saudi Arabia has committed a crime by demolishing the historical al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, and it should be punished. It is the same Taliban mentality demolishing the Ottoman-era fortress in Mecca and destroying Buddha statues in Afghanistan. The parliament should infrom parliaments of all Islam countries on the issue. This issue should be brought onto agenda at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference.''
Nevzat Yalcintas of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said, ''Turkey has been aware of Saudi Arabia's plan to demolish the fortress for a year. We should set up contact with Saudi Arabia to rebuild these historical works. A similar incident was experienced in the past, and Ataturk sent a petition to Saudi administration including harsh expressions.''
Yasin Hatiboglu of the Felicity Party (SP) said, ''there is not a parliament in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is our government that should react to Saudi Arabia. We are deeply sorry about demolition of the Ottoman-era fortress in Mecca. Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary told us that the fortress would not be demolished. The government should apologize because of its incompetency.''
SOKMENOGLU: ''ANNIHILATION OF AL JIHAD CASTLE IS A CULTURAL MASSACRE''
Parliament Acting Chairman Murat Sokmenoglu criticized the annihilation of Al Jihad Castle in Mecca and defined it as a ''cultural massacre.''
Sokmenoglu indicated that the Saudi administration earlier knocked down Ottoman houses and cemeteries, and finally destroyed Al Jihad Castle, an invaluable Ottoman heritage in Mecca.
''Destruction of a historical work by a Muslim country violates Islamic ethics. I strongly protest this unreasonable and resentful behaviour of the Saudi Administration,'' he said.
He also called on Turkish pilgrims to raise this issue and noted that the annihilation of the castle took place after Turkish pillgrims deposited their pilgrimage money.
Sokmenoglu called on UNESCO and other international organizations to prevent more annihilations and to rebuild the architectural works that are destroyed.
TALAY SAYS ANNIHILATION OF AL JIHAD CASTLE WAS CAUSED BY AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX
Culture Minister Istemihan Talay has said that the annihilation of Al Jihad Castle in Mecca was caused by an inferiority complex.
Talay said that he strongly condemned the annihilation of the castle and defined it as a ''barbaric act.'' He resembled the castle's annihilation to Taliban's destroying the Budha sculptures.
''The castle has been under this threat for about a year. Although the Foreign Ministry openly and clearly told us that the castle would not be destroyed, we recently found out that the castle was completely knocked down,'' he said.
Talay said Turkey cannot have very friendly feelings towards a country which destroyed such a valuable architectural work.
''This is not only disrespectful to the history, it also reflects an intention to wipe off the Turkish period from the world and from their history,'' he commented.
FM SPOKESMAN DIRIOZ SAYS TURKEY DID ITS BEST FOR AL JIHAD CASTLE IN SAUDI ARABIA
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said on Wednesday that Turkey took necessary initiatives and made its suggestions regarding ''Al Jihad'' castle in Mecca city of Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in a news conference, Dirioz said that ''Turkey did its best regarding this issue from the beginning. The news telling that the castle would be demolished and a hotel would be built in its place was heard one year ago. Turkey took initiatives and contacted with the Saudi Arabian officials after hearing that. Last summer Saudi Arabian officials told us that a business centre would be built there, but the castle would not be demolished.''
Dirioz said that the Saudi Arabian press also noted that the castle would be demolished and re-built, adding that Foreign Ministry had taken initiatives again.
Dirioz said that Turkey expressed its sorrow again over the starting of the demolition although Saudi Arabia promised not to do so, adding that ''we asked Saudi Arabian officials what was going on. We expressed our sensitivity. Cultural inheritance is the common property of everybody. We will convey our concern again whenever we receive information.''
When asked what kind of a measure Turkey would take in return to the demolition of the castle, Dirioz said that ''we take all kinds of initiatives at various levels. We are assesing the results of our first initiatives. We will decide what we will do in line with the response we will get and in line with the assessment we will made.''
AK PARTY FORMS COMMISSION TO ASSESS DEMOLITION OF AL-AJYAD FORT
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has formed a commission to assess demolition of Ottoman-era al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Nevzat Yalcintas, a deputy of the AK Party, said on Wednesday that a genocide had been committed against Ottoman-era works in Saudi Arabia.
He called on officials to launch an investigation into demolition of historic al-Ajyad Fort.
Upon proposal of Yalcintas, a commission has been formed under the chairmanship of Yalcintas.
The commission will investigate demolition of Ottoman-era al-Ajyad Fort, and bring the issue onto parliamentary agenda.
SELCUK UNIVERSITY HISTORY DEPARTMENT CHAIRMAN PROF. BAYRAM REACTS TO SAUDI ARABIA
Selcuk University History Department Chairman Prof. Dr. Mikail Bayram said on Wednesday, ''demolition of the historic al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was nothing but an enmity against the Ottoman Empire.''
Responding questions of A.A correspondent, Prof. Dr. Bayram said, ''many Arab countries including Saudi Arabia had lived under authority and shadow of the Ottoman Empire for a long time in the past.''
''Saudi Arabia has begun to describe Ottoman Empire as an imperialist state after its collapse. Saudi Arabia has been trying to destroy Ottoman-era thraces systematically. Many Ottoman-era works in Saudi Arabia were demolished in the past. Demolition of the historic al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was nothing but an enmity against the Ottoman Empire. Demolition of such cultural heritage contradicts with teachings of the Islam,'' he said.
Prof. Dr. Bayram claimed that the Foreign Affairs Ministry did not put forward the necessary reaction to prevent demolition of the historic al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca at the right time.
TURKISH WORLD ASSOCIATION CONDEMNS SAUDI ARABIA
Turkish World Culture and Human Rights Association Board Chairman Celal Ocal said on Wednesday that they harshly condemned destruction of the Ottoman era's 350-year fortress al-Ajyad Fort by Saudi Arabia.
Releasing a statement, Ocal defended that the Saudi administration followed a ''fanatic Turcophobia policy'' instead of remembering the Ottoman Empire which had guarded holy lands and left a number of cultural and historic works, with respect and gratitude.
Claiming that the Foreign and Culture ministries had remained silent against demolition of the fortress, Ocal said, ''like the Middle Ages wicked mentality representative Taliban's destruction of Buddha statues, giant common cultural heritage of humanity in Afghanistan, we harshly condemn Saudi Empire's demolition of the Ottoman Empire's 350-year historic al-Ajyad Fort.''
''We call on our relevant ministers to take measures to prevent the Saudi administration, an enemy of Turkish history, from destroying also the Ottoman collonades in the Kaaba and the Ottoman decorative columns in the Muhammad, the Prophet Mosque,'' he said.