APPENDIX 9
Memorandum from the Solidarity Platform
of the Turkish Community in the United Kingdom
1. The Solidarity Platform of the Turkish
Community in the UK represents 200,000 Turkish people in Britain.
We are in the process of become a registered organisation after
which we aim to be a more proactive organisation to promote the
Turkish culture and identity in the UK.
2. We have become aware that the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the House of Commons has been undertaking
an inquiry into the United Kingdom's relations with Turkey.
3. We believe that the presence of such
a large number and of various background and profession of Turkish
people in the United Kingdom, undoubtedly contributes to the British
economy and the diversity of the British culture. Furthermore,
this presence enhances positive and constructive links between
geographically the easternmost and westernmost frontiers of modern-day
Europe. We also believe that the diversity in a country—as
it is in the UK and Turkey—is richness. EU will also benefit
from the cultural and religious diversity that would be introduced
by the full membership of Turkey to the EU. We hope the United
Kingdom's invaluable positive contribution would be boosted by
your report so that enrichment in the diversity in the EU could
be enriched soon.
4. The Turkish Community in the United Kingdom
is becoming more and more integrated and intertwined to the British
society despite the fact that certain levels of misconception
about Turkey are still kept alive by various groups. These groups
have been using the British system to their advantage in order
to destabilise Anglo-Turkish relations considering both Turkey
and the Turkish Community in the UK. Hence, for further development
of Anglo-Turkish relations these misconceptions should be rectified
and we believe that the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House
of Commons would play an important role to accomplish the above
mentioned rectification by producing such a timely report.
5. Having been a secular democratic Muslim
country and having aimed at the contemporary Western World since
before the proclamation of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923,
despite certain shortfalls, Turkey has ever been as a unique example
of a contemporary democratic country in the Muslim World. The
importance of such a secular stand in a Muslim world received
well deserved public attention unfortunately after the recent
tragic events of 11 September 2001. This is another clear indication
of lack of knowledge and misconceptions about Turkey and Turkish
people.
6. We are quite aware of the certain economical,
social and political shortfalls in Turkey which are always exaggerated
and selectively taken out of the content to mislead the public.
We are also aware of the tremendous will power in Turkish people
to overcome these shortfalls. The recent accelerated legislative
momentum to tackle these issues reflects the dedication of both
the society and the government in Turkey. Preparing Turkey for
EU membership, as a concrete target, definitely contributes to
the movement as a driving force. However, the lack of similar
will power from EU, with which we can perform better, is an important
issue to be resolved. We hope that the United Kingdom will continue
its constructive efforts to establish stronger and genuine links
between Turkey and the EU towards Turkey's full membership to
the EU.
United Kingdom Council of Turkish Students'
Societies on behalf of the Solidarity Platform of the Turkish
Community in the United Kingdom
January 2002
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