Addresses delivered in the general policy debate by the Head of Delegation at the General Conference

37 session of the General Conference

Son Excellence, Monsieur Nabi Avci, Ministre de l'éducation nationale de la Turquie

Speech delivered during the General Policy Debate of the 37th session of the General Conference - revised and corrected version of the verbatim records of plenary meetings

36 session of the General Conference

H.E. Mr Gürcan Türkoglu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Turkey to UNESCO

Speech delivered during the General Policy Debate of the 36th session of the General Conference and posted as received

35 session of the General Conference - Visit

H.E. Mr Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey

“(…) UNESCO, as a part of the United Nations family, should remain decidedly the lead agency in the core areas of education, science, culture and communication.”
“(…) the current international economic and financial crisis has clearly proven that an improved global governance is of key importance. (...) In this context, the demand for a new and reinvigorated multilateralism is pressing. And this also relates to UNESCO’s fields of activity. (…) we must see that, even a fraction of the large sums spent to stimulate the economies and bailout the banks, would mean large investments for schools, museums or laboratories.”
“(…) investing in the protection of cultural heritage means helping the strengthening of our societies especially at times of crises, economic crisis or cultural identity crisis. UNESCO also has a preeminent role in promoting cultural diversity and dialogue among cultures. In this regard, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2010 to be led by UNESCO is timely. (…) Fostering mutual understanding is key to effective conflict prevention. UNESCO is well-placed to work across frontiers and continents to enhance cultural exchange and inter-cultural harmony. The Alliance of Civilizations Initiative launched by Turkey and Spain under the auspices of the UN with UNESCO’s participation is a concrete step in this direction”.
“Never in history has it been more pressing to invest in education, as a major driver, in building inclusive and equitable societies. (…) UNESCO has central role to play in this process, as manifested in its leadership in initiatives such as Education for All, the UN Literacy Decade and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.”
“(…) taking appropriate measures to protect the gains of gender equality efforts must be one of our priorities.”
“Additional financing should be channelled to the most vulnerable. Moreover, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries should keep their place among the priorities of UNESCO’s education agenda. In this respect, North-South and South-South cooperation schemes should be encouraged.”
“The broader use of information technologies in education is becoming essential. In this connection, open and distance learning will have a decisive role in effectively training people at reasonable costs. (…) In Turkey, Anadolu (Anatolia) University which offers distance education to more than one and a half million undergraduate students is an internationally recognized distance learning example. With our expertise, we are ready to contribute to developing distance learning projects.”
“Economic crisis has once again proven that lifelong learning, offering greater workforce flexibility, can be a valuable asset against unemployment. Technical and vocational education and training can contribute to employment creation and productivity and they promote economic development.”
“Scientific progress, both in the natural and social sciences, has proven to be essential for sustainable development. The magnitude of global challenges of today, such as climate change, requires more than ever the wise application of innovative solutions. UNESCO National Commissions, UNESCO Chairs and Associated Schools Project Network should assume roles in the sharing and propagation of scientific and technological experience.”
“(…) Neither democracy nor sustainable economic development is conceivable without freedom of expression. In this regard, the sensitivity of UNESCO about the independence and safety of the media and its professionals is justified and appropriate.”
“Africa and gender equality deserve special attention, especially under the global crisis conditions.”
“(…) With regard to Africa, Turkey has launched an “Outreach to Africa” policy in 2005. We convened the “Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit” last year. Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency, and several Turkish NGOs are already serving people across Africa. Working to achieve gender equality is also a priority for Turkey.”
“(…) I would like to pay tribute to Director General Mr Matsuura for having initiated necessary reforms to improve the performance of the Organization. (…) Turkey looks forward to working closely with the new Director-General also.”

35 session of the General Conference

H.E. Mr Gürcan Türkoglu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Turkey to UNESCO

“(…) I wish to express my delegation's appreciation for the Director-General Mr Matsuura for his dedicated decade-long service UNESCO. (…) We trust and fully support Her Excellency Mrs Bokova whose vision will surely help UNESCO enrich its universal experience (...).”
“As a founding member of UNESCO and having one of the oldest and most active UNESCO National Commissions, Turkey is committed, to continue to supporting the activities of UNESCO. The visit of H.E Mr. Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey to UNESCO Headquarters two days ago, to deliver a keynote address in the Plenary Ministerial Forum, is a clear demonstration of this commitment. (...)”
“I am pleased to inform you that the Turkish Minister of National Education has undertaken vigorous campaigns and projects in line with UNESCO's Educational for All targets. We are now focused on implementing a comprehensive programme to expand the scope of preschool education.”
“Protection of the World Heritage is a topic that Turkey attaches particular importance to. We are preparing to nominate new site for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city of Istanbul, which is on the World Heritage List, has been declared the European Capital of Culture for 2010. Turkey hosted the Third Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Istanbul in November 2008 and is now preparing to host with the participation of UNESCO the Southeast European Summit on Cultural Corridors, which will focus on music as a metaphor of culture. Further, I would like to express that we wish to see a stronger UNESCO in the field of the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation through the Intergovernmental Committee which celebrated its 30th anniversary during an extraordinary session in Seoul last year.”
“In the framework of Science-related activities of UNESCO, Turkey actively participates in the development of an early warning system against tsunamis, and intends to be the first operational regional tsunami watch centres in this region. We will be hosting very soon the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas. Turkey was the host of the fifth World Water Forum convened under the theme “Bridging Divides for Water” in Istanbul in March 2009. UNESCO Director-General participated in this wide-reaching ranging event and presented the third edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report.”
"Turkey supports a global partnership for development and believes that UNESCO has an important role to play in this endeavour.”

34 session of the General Conference

H.E. Mr Huseyin Celic, Minister of Education

Turkey welcomes Singapore and Montenegro to UNESCO and associates itself with the statement made by the Minister for Education of Portugal, on behalf of the European Union.
“As Member States to UNESCO, it is our collective duty to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with a view to ensuring global economic stability and prosperity, as well as safe, fair and sustainable environment to live in.”
“Turkey supports the priorities set by UNESCO for the Medium-Term Strategy, focusing mainly on Africa and gender equality. Within the framework of our “Opening up to Africa” policy, our Government declared the year 2005 as the “Year of Africa”. During that year, Turkey has obtained observer status to the African Union.”
Turkey effectively supports the South-South cooperation and believes it has the potential to make an important contribution to the global development effort. Istanbul hosted the Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries in order to exchange good practices and promote international dialogue.
“Turkey is a middle income country but also an emerging donor. The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency plays a central role in this regard with 22 field offices in different countries.”
“Turkey believes in the leading role of UNESCO which has a particular responsibility for placing education at the forefront of the international agenda. […] The budget share of the Ministry of Education has been steadily rising from 7% in 2002 to 11% in 2007.”
Gender equality is a priority for the Turkish Government. Currently, in Turkey, the percentage of women filling university staff positions is 39%. Some 52% of all the people employed in the health sector, and roughly 33% of lawyers and 27% of diplomats are women.
Turkey is actively participating in promoting the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Turkey is also pleased to host the Third Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Istanbul, in the autumn 2008.
In addition, Turkey will organise in Istanbul the World Philosophy Day and the EUROMAB 2007 meeting. The Fifth World Water Forum will be convened under the theme “Bridging Divides for Water” and will be held in Istanbul in March 2009.

Celebration of anniversaries

50th anniversary of the death of Mehmed Fuad Köprülü, scholar (1890-1966) (with the support of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan) (2016)

Mehmed Fuad Köprülü (1890-1966) was the most outstanding Turkish scholar and intellectual of the twentieth century. Mehmed Fuad Köprülü is regarded as the founder of the modern, scientific Turkish research on the culture and history of the Turks. As a scholar he had an international reputation and many accolades. In the process using modern scholarly methods, he shed light on the main features of the Turkish history and literature. He introduced many poets and writers to the scholarly world. His books and articles touched on many subjects: the history of Turkish literature, literary criticism, Oriental studies, the history of Turkish civilization and culture, language, religion, art, music, political history and ethnology. Köprülü established the basis for the modern study of Turkish literature and history; he was a master at synthesizing great amounts of information and published some 1500 books, articles, essays and other writings.
His first major work, Early Mystics in Turkish Literature, which proved to be his masterpiece, appeared in 1918 when he was only 28, and earned him international reputation. In 1920, he published the first edition of Türk Edebiyatı Tarihi (The History of Turkish Literature), which further established him as a leading authority in Turkish studies. In 1922, he published Islam in Anatolia after the Turkish Invasion (Prolegomena) and The Seljuks in Anatolia: Their History and Culture According to Local Muslim Sources. In 1931 he founded Journal of Turkish Legal and Economic History, in which appeared his long article “Some Observations on the Influence of Byzantine Institutions on Ottoman Institutions”. In 1935 he published Les origines de l'Empire ottoman (The Origins of the Ottoman Empire) which was a series of lectures given at the Sorbonne the previous year.

850th anniversary of the death of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, poet and Sufi (1093 or 1103-1166) (with the support of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) (2016)

Ahmed Yasawi, a distinguished Sufi master of the twelfth century, is one of the oldest and most famous poets among the Turkic language speaking countries. The sources differ on his birthday and birthplace. Yasawi was born in Sayram or in Yasi (both cities now in Kazakhstan) in 1093 or 1103. After initial education by his father he studied in Bukhara, one of the principal centres of Islamic civilization at the time. He became an adherent of the celebrated Shaykh Yusuf al-Hamadani. In Bukhara Yasawi studied the exoteric sciences, becoming one of the experts of his day in rationalistic and traditional scholarship alike.
His contribution was crucial for Central Asia, where he popularized Sufism with his numerous students in the region, and contributed to the diffusion of Islam through Sufi order. His understanding of Islam is inspired by principles of love, tolerance, generosity and humanism.
Ahmed Yasawi, with his literary, intellectual and legendary life, was one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the Turkic world of Central Asia and Anatolia. He was the founder of a whole school of mystics, and is as such highly revered. He was a Sufi poet who contributed tremendously to the development of mystical orders throughout the Turkic speaking world.

100th anniversary of the establishment of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (1914) (2014)

Possessing a rich collection of Islamic arts and founded in the Ottoman Empire era, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Its mandates in the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage for intercultural dialogue are linked to the Organization’s ideals and missions. The Anniversary should be celebrated in the international sphere.

100th anniversary of the death of İsmail Gaspıralı, journalist and publisher (1851-1914) (Turkey with the support of Ukraine) (2014)

Ismail Gaspıralı was not only an educational reformer, a strong promoter of literacy, and proponent of mother-tongue education, but also an avid supporter of women's education and emancipation. Gaspıralı also made contributions to journalistic work. With his daughter Sefiqa, Gaspıralı published the first journal for women which focused on domestic economy, childcare, needlework, knowledge about health and religion, Alem-i Nisvan (World of Women), as well as a publication for children, Alem-i Subyan (World of Children). He believed that progress required educational reform, teaching a modern curriculum by modern methods, encouraging social and economic cooperation, and cultural exchange. He had an intellectually moderate and practical influence at the regional level.

50th anniversary of the death of Halide Edip Adıvar, teacher and social philosopher (1884-1964) (2014)

Halide Edip Adivar is an important figure in the history of modern Turkey. She was involved in the Independence movement as a corporal and then sergeant. She was an educator, novelist, philosopher, journalist, member of Parliament (1950-54), women’s rights advocate and activist. She was also a member of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and a member of the Executive Board.

450th anniversary of the death of Matrakçı Nasuh, scientist (1480-1564) (2014)

Matrakçi Nasuh is renowned in the sixteenth century as a mathematician, historian, miniaturist, geographer, cartographer, topographer, calligrapher and engineer. He wrote two books on mathematics. He was a pioneer in mathematics education and his book “Umdet-ul Hisab” is an excellent example of a successful blend of mathematical pedagogy and rigorous content of knowledge.

500th anniversary of the Piri Reis World Map (1513) (2013)

This map marks a significant event in the history of the country and has enabled its collective knowledge to be transmitted through generations. As a rare world map from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Piri Reis World Map is an invaluable piece of the world’s documentary heritage as it provides insight on the history of its time. It is therefore part of the Memory of the World and should be made better known.

300th anniversary of the death of Yusuf Nabi, poet and philosopher (1641-1712) (2012)

Yusuf Nabi (1642-1712) was a Turkish poet who lived in the court of Mehmed IV. As well as being a highly distinguished man of action, he was one of the greatest scholars of his century. His style of poetry is didactic and displays considerable rhetorical eloquence. Two of his works are particularly noteworthy: the Dīwān, in which he demonstrates his full range of skills, shifting with ease from philosophy to lyricism and from lyricism to satire, and the famous Hairiye-i Nabī (Advice to his son), which has special significance in Turkish literature since, apart from its sententious tone and precepts in verse form, it offers a sharp satire of that period.

100th anniversary of the birth of Kemal Ahmet Aru, architect and urban planner (1912-2005) (2012)

The thinking of Kemal Ahmet Arû is a leading guidance for all town planners and architects in the world. For the education and training of students and teachers of UNESCO Chairs, the celebration of this anniversary will be inspiring and Chairholders could participate in the commemoration events in the international arena.

300th anniversary of the death of Buhurizade Mustafa Itri, musician (1640-1712) (2012)

Buhurizade Itri (c. 1640-1712) musician, composer, calligrapher and poet, whose real name was Mustafa was a major exponent of Turkish classical music. He was a very prolific composer with more than a thousand works. However, only about 40 of these survived to this day. He lived through the times of five Ottoman Sultans. He became well known during the time of Mehmed IV. As with most composers of his day, Buhurizade Itri was also a famous poet and a calligrapher. He used poetic forms based on the classical Ottoman school of poetry (Dīvān), as well as those based on syllabic meters identified with folk music and poetry. Unfortunately most of his poetry has not survived to this day.

400th anniversary of the birth of Evliya Çelebi, writer (1611-1682) (2011)

Evliya Çelebi (1611-1682), renown Turkish traveller, writer, calligrapher, poet and musician, is one of the prominent figures of travel literature of the 17th Century. He traveled all over the Ottoman Empire and beyond, visiting numerous cities and towns in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He wrote about customs, traditions, history, important personalities and architecture he came to know during his travels.
His travel notes are collected in his 10 volume work, “Seyahatname” (The Book of Travels), which is the first and most prominent travel book of Turkish literature.
Evliya Çelebi placed special emphasis on the languages and local dialects of the people and, with the aim of addressing all, he adopted a simple, humble and clear writing style.

100th anniversary of the death of Osman Hamdi Bey, painter, archaeologist and art expert (1842-1910) (2010)

Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) is one of the pioneers of Turkish museology and archaeology and also a distinguished painter. He established the country’s first museum, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. He conducted the first Turkish scientific archaeological excavation (at the Commagene tomb-sanctuary at Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site today). He also founded the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts (today’s Mimar Sinan University).

400th anniversary of the birth of Katip Çelebi, scholar (1609-1657) (2009)

Katip Çelebi was a Turkish scholar. Among his chief works is the “Keşfü’z-zünûn an esâmi’l-kütüb ve’l-fünûn” which documents some 15,000 books. The best known of his encyclopaedic contributions is the “Keşfü’z-zünûn”, a bibliographical dictionary in the Arab language, with over 14,500 entries in alphabetical order. This work served as a basis for the "Bibliothèque Orientale" by Barthélemy d'Herbelot de Molainville. He was also the author of many works in the fields of geography, history and economics.

1000th anniversary of the birth of Kasgarli Mahmud, linguist (1008-1101) (2008)

Kasgarli Mahmud was a renowned Turkish linguist, philologist and ethnographer and the first Turkish cartographer of Turkic dialects, who lived in the eleventh century. His most famous work is the book entitled "Divân-i Lügati't-Türk". The only handwritten copy of the book was found in 1910. In his book, Mahmud tried to prove the richness of Turkish language and its value besides Arabic and Persian. Accordingly, he wrote the grammar book entitled “Kitâbu Cevâhirü'n-Nahvi Lügâti't-Türk” to teach Turkish to Arabs. The celebration of this anniversary will encourage further research on Kasgarli Mahmud’s significance and major contribution to Turkish culture and language.

800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Belhi-Rumi (Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi Rumi), poet and philosopher (1207-1273) (2007) Joint proposal of Afghanistan, Egypt and Turkey

Eminent philosopher and mystical poet of Islam, Rumi advocated tolerance, reason and access to knowledge through love. His mystical relationship to Islam produced masterpieces that, well beyond the borders of Turkey, have marked Islamic culture and devotion. His work and thought continue to have universal relevance today.

100th anniversary of the birth of Nazim Hikmet (2002)

Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963) is both a Turkish and a world poet of the twentieth century. His books have been translated into many languages and printed in various countries; his name figures in the foremost literary anthologies and encyclopedias. The entire world is shown in his poems: from the Blacks in America or Africa to the Japanese fisherman, from Cuba to India, from Patrice Lumumba to Paul Robeson. In recognition of his devotion to peace and mutual understanding among peoples, he was awarded the International Peace Prize by the World Peace Council together with Pablo Picasso, Paul Robeson and others.
Nazim Hikmet’s immortal poetical heritage and the humanistic values enshrined in it constitute an important part of world culture.

Two hundredth anniversary of the death of the Turkish poet Ôeyh (Sheikh) Galib (1999).

Ôeyh (Sheikh) Galib is a poet famous in Turkey and elsewhere, whose works are a significant example of the poetic and metaphorical expression of eighteenth-century Turkish literature; while remaining faithful to the literary tradition of the
past, he breathed new life into his country’s literature.
The wealth of his imagination, the refinement of his style, the intimacy of his feelings and the individuality of his symbols make him one of the last noteworthy representatives of classical Turkish literature.

Seven hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the formation of Ottoman cultural and scientific heritage and its multinational aspects (1999).

The Ottoman Empire was one of the main world powers for many centuries, and succeeded in creating not only a remarkable administrative system, but also an original culture, whose traces survive, and a political system which managed to preserve the distinctive cultural, linguistic and religious features of the various peoples living under its administration.
It was a great civilization in which mysticism coexisted with the most sophisticated art, science with literature, and order with tolerance, and which extended its supremacy from Asia to Europe.
The Turkish authorities are planning to organize various academic cultural events for this anniversary, so as to encourage further study of the Ottoman archives, which are of immediate concern to the history of several countries.

Centenary of the birth of the Turkish poet and writer, former minister of education, Hasan Ali Yücel (1997).

Seven hundredth anniversary of the death of the Turkish humorist Nasreddin Hoca (Mulla Nasruddin, Goha) (1996).

500th anniversary of the birth of the poet Fuzuli (Muhammed ibn Siileyman) (1995)

A major figure of the classical school of Turkish literature, Fuzuli was a very prolific author. His poetry was written in the Azeri, Arabic and Persian languages.
Fuzuli’s fame extends over a large geocultural area, including the Islamic world where his famous love story of Leyla and Mecnim is very popular.
Turkey intends to organize various cultural events at both the national and international levels: lectures, seminars, exhibitions, publications and radio and television broadcasts.

600th anniversary of the birth of the astronomer Ulugh Beg (1994)

Ulugh Beg was an astronomer, theologian, poet and historian who made Samarkand the last great centre of civilization of the mediaeval Islamic Orient.
He was the founder of the Observatory of Samarkand, where the celebrated ‘Astronomical tables of Ulugh Beg’ were produced.
Turkey is planning a number of national and international events, including lectures, seminars, publications and radio and television programmes.

750th anniversary of the birth of Yunus Emre, a leading figure in Anatolian Turkish folk poetry (Turkey) (1991)

Reference document: 25 C/Resolutions + CORR.

400th anniversary of the death of the architect Sinan (Turkey) (1988)

Reference document: 24 C/Resolutions + CORR

100th anniversary of the birth of Mustafa Kemal Atatûrk (1981)

Reference document: 21 C/5)

25th anniversary of the death of Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey (1881-1938) (1963) (Turkey) (1963)

UNESCO/MC/46