Neo-Islamic Victors in Turkey "Open to Dialogue"

So Says Spokesman of Catholic Bishops’ Conference

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ANKARA, Turkey, NOV. 5, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Sunday’s election victories by the neo-Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) are no surprise, says the Turkish bishops’ conference.

Monsignor Georges Marovitch, a spokesman for the conference, explained that the AKP «represents moderate Islam and is open to dialogue. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 48, president of the party, said that he and his party will work for Turkey’s entry to the European Union.»

«The hope is that these results will bring benefits to the nation,» Monsignor Marovitch said in public statements. «In particular, the laws included in the series of reforms launched in the month of August contain articles that affect religious foundations. The draft law is not very clear. This is why we hope that, with the new government, it will be clarified.»

With 34.4% of the votes, Erdogan’s party won 363 of the 550 seats in Parliament, while Social Democrat Deniz Baikal’s People’s Republican Party won the remaining seats.

According to the episcopal spokesman, the big surprise was the poor results obtained by the traditional parties, which were in power up until now: the Democratic Party of the Left (nationalist left), Nationalist Action (ultranationalist) and Motherland (center-right).

Erdogan stressed that his party, «as is written in our program, is not a religious group, and our conduct will demonstrate it in the future.»

As a first measure, Erdogan said his organization hopes to «implement an economic plan that will enable Turkey to be integrated in the world.» Turkey has endured an acute crisis since the end of World War II.

The Sunday election was the first in which AKP participated. Founded just over a year ago, it is the heir of an outlawed Islamic party.

Turkey has 67 million inhabitants, 99.8% of whom are Muslims, the majority Sunni.

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