President Gül: a powerful Turkey in world’s best interest

Attending the Turkish-German Economy Forum on Wednesday in Kayseri, Central Anatolia, with German President Christian Wulff, Gül commenced his speech by welcoming the guests. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the city in which I was born,” he said.The president said Wulff’s visit adds a fresh impetus to the already-good relations between the two nations, particularly mentioning the role of over 3 million Turks in Germany as a bridge between the two peoples.

He said Turks show their fidelity to Germany by integrating into its society while at the same time protecting their Muslim-Turkish identity.

He recalled Germany’s past support for Turkey’s membership process to the European Union and asked the “engine of the EU” to continue supporting Turkey’s case. The Turkish president also spoke about the recent success of the Turkish economy and a number of structural reforms that secured the country from the effects of last year’s global economic crisis while pushing Turkey’s economy to new heights.

“Trade volume between Turkey and Germany exceeded $30 billion in 2008, but our exports fell as European markets sustained heavy damage from the economic crisis,” Gül said. If Turkey joins the EU, it will have a share in the current pie of wealth, he noted, adding that Turkey will first increase the size of the pie and then take its share.

Wulff meets with civil society leaders

German President Wulff, on an official visit to Turkey amidst a heated debate over the integration of Germany’s immigrant communities into German society, convened with representatives of some of Turkey’s major civil society organizations over breakfast.

Osman Güner from the Anatolian Culture Association, Ayhan Bilgen from the Civil Society Development Center, Halime Güner from the Flying Broom, Human Rights Joint Platform (İHOP) General Coordinator Feray Salman and Alevi-Bektaşi Federation President Ali Balkız exchanged opinions with the German president during a one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting.

Wulff mainly listened to the participants, taking frequent notes during the meeting, which mainly revolved around the topic of Turkey’s democratization process.

The president was particularly interested in the mandatory courses on religion at the primary and high school levels as well as problems faced by Alevis on this issue. He was also curious about how an Alevi dede (religious leader) is trained.

In the meantime, Turkey’s first lady, Hayrünnisa Gül, accompanied Bettina Wulff, the wife of the German president, on a tour of Kayseri’s historic sites. The two women first visited the Bürüngüz Mosque before heading to the ages-old covered market. The two women briefly spoke with tradesmen in the bazaar while shopping.

One tradesman presented a shawl and a piece of traditional muslin to each woman. Another vendor in the market offered Gül and Wulff some Turkish delight. They later visited a nursing home and spoke with the elderly residents living there.