ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Friday that Turkey needed the philosophy of Haci Bektas Veli and Yunus Emre which is based on tolerance, peace and love among people more than ever today.
Yilmaz sent a message to Hacibektas Mayor upon the ceremonies held to commemorate Haci Bektas Veli.
''If we want to take part in the European Union with our own identity as being the state and nation, we must give up bringing obstacles to respecting this philosophy. We must also believe that European will save itself from the spirit of Crusader as much as we carry this philosophy to Europe. As much as we attribute this philosophy to the whole world, the probability of clash among civilizations will decrease,'' he said.
Yilmaz noted that the first steps that will be taken to adjust with the EU laws, will be those of steps aiming to overcome the problems of people who are members of Alewi-Bektasi Culture and Belief Group in Turkey.