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Quotes by Turkish Authors
"A heart makes a good home for the friend."
"My visit to the United States has also given me the opportunity to emphasize the objective of establishing close and intensive links between the Turkish and American peoples, scholars and businessmen."
"The Muslim world and its subset the countries of the Middle East have been left behind in the marathon of political, economic and human development. For that, there is a tendency to blame others as the primary cause."
"No, I believe in the good will of the United States' administration."
"However and wherever we are, we must live as if we will never die."
"Ataturk sent several Turkish staff officers to Afghanistan, helped them build their own army."
"I regard the endorsement of both the objective and a method - which can differ from one country to another- of democratization by the parties in the region as a basic requisite of democratization in the Middle East."
"The advanced levels which the democratic world has attained at the end of lengthy processes may have created the perception in the region that democracy is a distant concept; this perception can be addressed."
"A fitting external security environment could also play an important role in promoting social consensus and institutionalization towards democratization."
"As a politician who cherishes religious conviction in his personal sphere, but regards politics as a domain belonging outside religion, I believe that this view is seriously flawed."
"I feel very, very proud that so many people have copied me."
"An honourable man is fair even to his enemies, a dishonourable man is unfair even to his friends!"
"The US and the European Union needs to help in the translation of the demand for democracy into a political will."
"So we are fulfilling our task in preventing serious armament stocks in Iraq within our possibilities."
"Therefore, the question is not whether such democratization is possible, but instead how to meet the yearning of the masses in the Middle East for democracy; in other words, how to achieve democratization in the Middle East."
"Similarly, gender-equality, supremacy of law, political participation, civil society, and transparency are among the indispensable elements that are the imperatives of democratization."
"Similarly, it is argued that the culture of Islam is incompatible with democracy. Basically, this conventional perspective of the Middle East thus contends that democracy in that region is neither possible nor even desirable."
"But apart from the military measures, security measures, of course, Afghanistan needs great help for building up its social life, its economic life. It has become a very poor country, neglected for many years."
"Several experts on the Middle East concur that the Middle East cannot be democratized."
"But if we leave them alone, just satisfying ourselves with social work, economic work and the building up of a national army, it can make progress, hopefully within a short time."
"Living is no laughing matter: you must live with great seriousness like a squirrel for example - I mean without looking for something beyond and above living, I mean living must be your whole occupation."
"The dust cannot fight against the wind, the wind cannot fight against the mountain. Everything and everyone has a battle to lose!"
"But if too many countries, as has been the case, interfere too much in the internal affairs, the political situation of Afghanistan, then of course we can't hope satisfactory results."
"Everyone should unconditionally accept that Israel is an indispensable element of the Middle Eastern mosaic."
"Invariably, also a Palestinian state should live side by side with Israel within recognized and secure borders and the security and prosperity of the Palestinian people must be guaranteed."
"But thanks to the efforts, the initiative of the United States and of the several countries from the world, from Europe, including Turkey, it ended within a few weeks."
"According to this view, democracy is a product of western culture, and it cannot be applied to the Middle East which has a different cultural, religious, sociological and historical background."
"The foundations of democratic transition should be laid in accordance with a sincere and committed strategy that is supported by various policy tools, and implemented wisely."
"The hero of the book does long to experience God. But his conception of God is very western."
"Even in the Western world, one cannot argue that the ideal has been achieved given the existence of issues like the integration, participation and representation of Muslim citizens, and occasional but lingering anti-Semitism."
"In other words, the bar should be maintained at the level of a pluralistic and participatory democracy."
"I am aware of the thesis that the United States has long since invested exclusively in stability and this has obviated democratic transformation in the Middle East."
"We have been helping, trying to help Afghanistan in many ways, even from the beginning of... the beginnings of the '20s, 1920s, when he we were fighting our own national struggle."
"We have in the last two years, we have passed 350 legislation in the parliament, most of which deal with democratization, human rights, and of course, economy."
"If I told you about a land of love, friend, would you follow me and come?"
"I suggested that we had experience in helping other countries build their military forces, and we would be willing and happy to do the same for Afghanistan, together with the United States."
"Even as we ought to accept that each country would progress with a different method and speed toward that goal, the standard for the expected end-state should not be lowered."
"It is essential that policy instruments be developed that would firmly establish democratization on the basis of social consensus and enable transformation on stable grounds."
"At first my publisher had reservations about publishing it in the form you are familiar with."
"It is obvious that putting the Arab-Israeli dispute on a resolution track would be an important element of overcoming the confidence problem in the region."
"What should be targeted is a concept of organic, and not just mechanic, democracy that preserves the rule of law, separation of powers, and that is participatory and pluralistic."
"A confidence problem exists on the part of the people of the region who desire democratic rule in principle, but remain suspicious of both the fashion with which democratization is presented and the purposes of the democratic world."
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