3rd East West Meeting, a showcase of the embrace between West and the East led by the Multi-Cultural Youth Council (COJEP), was organized in Mardin Yay Grand Hotel between October 23rd and 26th this year.
The event welcomed Mr. Bulent Arınc, the former President of Turkish Parliament, Mr. Mehmet Kılıclar, Mardin Governor, Mr. Metin Pamukcu, the Mayor of Mardin, the Chairman of Genpa A.S. Board, Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the Mardin-born businessman and academicians, clergy, authors, businessmen and university students from 22 countries.
Mr. Ali Gunes, the President of COJEP Turkey emphasized the importance of events that would take three days, and expressed his faith in that the world would be a better place with happiness and peace thanks to mutual dialogues and tolerances between cultures.
Mr. Ali Gedikoglu, the COJEP International President, delivered a speech in which he hailed all guests coming from 22 countries around the world, including USA, Canada, France, Belgium, Russia and Burma. Stating that he is proud of organizing an East West Meeting in Mardin, where civilizations themselves converge, Mr.Gedikoglu said that this community, a representation of the power of the dialogue, is a product of such beauties. “The dialogue means to discover brand new things. It means new partnerships and new projects. It is the name of the path that leads to the peace.”
Mr. Bulent Arinc, the former Parliament president, was invited to deliver a speech. He told that he was quite pleased to attend such an event in Mardin that meets people: “Turkey is a long-time defender of a thesis, and she managed to make this thesis more than an intellectual concept and put into concrete implementation. It was referred by the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the UN. There is a corporate organization co-chaired by Spain and Turkey. This organization tries to bring together those countries, people and entities who defend the unity of civilizations against the anti-thesis that argues for the conflict of civilizations.” Reminding that the anti-thesis defenders are trying to open a new front everyday; however, Turkey is always involved in the pursue of such programs and efforts to build peace, Mr. Arınc went on: “These efforts are not fantastic products of mind. These ideas are the exact juxtaposition of those dialogues, lives and values praised by the past civilizations on today’s scenery.
Mr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the Mardin-born businessman and the Board chairman of Genpa A.S., a sponsor of the East and West Meeting, told that Mardin is the capital of the allied civilizations. Highlighting the fact that Mardin is a province where 7 religions, 7 languages and 7 civilizations meet each other and live arm in arm, Mr. Erdem told that Turkey is a country where civilizations converge and glorify and Mardin is a shining illustration of a nest for civilizations. Mr. Erdem told that he hoped that everyone would see this distinctive feature of Mardin. Mr. Cuneyt Yuksel, a Parliament member representing Mardin, talked about the mission that Turkey has undertaken in the East-West meeting and its efforts as a reconciler between conflicting countries in the international arena. Mr. Yuksel, too, emphasized that Mardin is a role model city for the east and west meeting. Mr. Kılıclar, the Mardin governor, expressed his happiness to be the host of such meeting. He stated that Mardin has been a host for the east-west meeting for millenniums. Mr. Metin Pamukcu, the Major, said that he was very pleased with the East-West meeting organized in Mardin, where the tinkle of the bells salutes the ezan with due respect; Christian people listen to mevlid in mosques in revered silence and the Moslems break their fasts in churches upon hearing the ezan at sunset.
Plaquettes were given away at the end of the event and commemorative pictures were taken at the entry to the hotel that hosted the organization.
