Conference On Balkans In 21st Century Held

ISTANBUL (A.A) - 11.05.2002 - State Minister Resat Dogru responsible for Turkish world said on Saturday that the concept of minority rights had recently been included in the human rights, adding, ''with this respect, also our kinsmen in the Balkans have the right to live in a way that suits human honor, by maintaining their cultural identity.''
Speaking at a conference on ''Balkans in the 21st Century'' organized by Rumelian Turks Culture and Solidarity Foundation (RUTEV), Dogru said that the world had witnessed merciless fights in the past.
Noting that the same fight was still continuing although the bi-polar cold war period had ended, Dogru said that a century when societies of information could find right to live had just started.
Stressing that they were obliged to equip the society with the things required by the century, Dogru said, ''today, human rights are not restricted with frontiers. With this respect, also our kinsmen in the Balkans have the right to live in a way that suits human honor by maintaining their cultural identity and national unity. Actually, it now seems that the foundations where the Balkanite Turks can defend their rightful cases have been formed.''
Resat Dogru noted that some countries were currently implementing some special policies to prevent the kinsmen from setting up organizations by weakening their social, political, economic and cultural reflexes despite the existence of international agreements.
Stressing that balanced and coherent policies that were based on friendship and equality should be followed with organizations that had the power of imposing international sanction, Dogru added that in national cases, the key to success was not in the hands of individuals or groups but it lied beneath the policies which protected common interests of society.
Meanwhile, RUTEV Chairman Macit Sahinler said that incidents occurred in the Balkans closely interested Turkey.
Noting that people living in the Balkans did not have any political target, Sahinler added that they would be grateful to every political party which would help them.