Date posted: July 29, 2013

İSMAİL AVCI -ORHAN KARANFİL – DIYARBAKIR

Diyarbakir Entrepreneurial Businessmen Association’s (DIGIAD) “Annual Friendship Iftar” brought together all walks of life in Diyarbakir, Turkey.

More than one thousand opinion makers, civil society leaders, businessmen, and politicians broke fast together. Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Mr. Mehdi Eker, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communications Mr. Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Finance Mr. Mehmet Şimşek, Deputy President of Journalists and Writers Foundation Mr. Cemal Uşak, representatives from AK Party and BDP, Muslim religious leaders and scholars, Syriac Christians, and NGO presidents were among the attendees at the iftar organized by DIGIAD.

DIGIAD’s president Alaaddin Korkutata in his speech underlined that there is a peaceful atmosphere because of the “Settlement Process,” which was initiated by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan by taking enormous risk; the process has also given hope to people. Mr. Korkutata said, “Warplanes were flying over our Iftar last year; There have been no significant incidents recently except for few provocative ones.”

Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Mr. Mehdi Eker praised in his speech that people from all walks life in Diyarbakir are represented at the Iftar. He said Turkey’s regime had problems with his own people. The state had divided its people into races, colors and ethnicities, which created problems. “We have made important progress for the solution in the last seven months despite some provocations, we wish that the settlement process will end with peace,” he added.

Minister of Finance Mr. Mehmet Şimşek pointed to the fact that Turkey has been in a process of change and transformation, which was achieved through political stability. Peace and tranquility came to the region and an investment burst is expected. Mr. Şimşek further said, “What have been accomplished in the last two years are [bringing] peace and [establishing] trust in the region. The region will develop, there will be a reverse migration. We must attract young people here from Western Turkey. This may seem a dream but it will come true.”

Disclaimer: The original article is in Turkish. Slight deviations from the original meaning may have occurred due to the difficulties in translating phrases and idioms. PII volunteers translated the article.

Source: Zaman Newspaper , July 27, 2013

Tags: Kurdish Issue | Peacebuilding | Turkey |