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| Europe |
| Laicism march in Turkey |
| 2007-12-25 |
| A march celebrating laicism and democracy was held yesterday in Ýzmir's Menemen district to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the death of Second Lt. and teacher Hasan Fehmi Kubilay, who was killed by religious fundamentalists in 1930. Among the important political figures attending the ceremony were Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer, Menemen Mayor Tahir Þahin, Konak Mayor Muzaffer Tunçað and a large group of citizens. Participants chanted, "Turkey is a secular country and it will remain so, during the event. Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt meanwhile said in a written statement marking the event that Laicism is the essential and indispensable principle of the republic. He said some powers had tried to prevent the Turkish nation from achieving its goal of going beyond the level of contemporary civilization since the establishment of the republic. Violation of laicism means the violation of the republic and its contemporary achievements, he said, noting that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, left to the Turkish nation a belief system that is far removed from dogma. This belief system had all the qualities to meet the requirements of today and the future... The Turkish Armed Forces will work in line with this system using its utmost power, Büyükanýt said. |
| Posted by:lotp |