29.09.2010

SPEECH BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU, PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY, AT THE OPENING OF THE 3^RD EUROPEAN HERITAGE FORUM

(Aya Irini, Istanbul, 1 October 2010)

Minister Günay,

Madame Deputy Secretary General,

Minister Kanceska-Milevska,

Mister President,

Ambassador Pierini,

Mayor Topbas,

Mayor Demir

Distinguished Guests

Esteemed Representatives of the Media

It is a great pleasure and indeed an honour for me to represent the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which I preside, in my own country for the 3rd European Heritage Forum in the context of the European Heritage Days. I am particularly proud to be in İstanbul, in this beautiful historic setting, with such distinguished guests, enjoying the well-known Turkish hospitality.

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to His Excellency Minister Ertuğrul Günay, Minister of Culture and Tourism of my country for hosting this event, the excellent organization and warm hospitality.

I also warmly welcome to this Forum and to my country Mrs. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Ian Micallef, President ad interim of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and Ambassador Marc Pierini, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey. Their presence and contributions are important for the success of the Forum.

My sincere thanks also go to all those, in the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in the Council of Europe and in the European Union, who made today’s event possible and ensured its success.

Dear Guests,

I believe that today’s event does not only provide a good platform for dialogue among experts in the field of cultural heritage and conservation, but also helps raise awareness in our societies about the importance of ownership, sense of responsibility and respect towards their History, cultural heritage and conservation.

Turkey, thanks to its strategically and geographically unique location, is a deep-rooted country, and has been at the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years. We still carry the footprints of all these civilizations and the rich heritage they left behind. This cultural wealth faces us with the responsibility to preserve it and transfer it to the future generations.

Let us not forget that conservation is not a one-sided effort and should not only be expected from the State. Awareness and the involvement of citizens in conservation activities are integral part of the process, and so is participation at local level by local authorities.

Dear Guests,

Cultural heritage, as an equation, is more than the sum of the peoples who have created it. Cultural heritage will accumulate, as long as we are all committed to its preservation and to fostering its values, physically and ideologically. It is good to see that our societies are getting more conscious about the universal value of cultural heritage.

Cultural heritage is a mirror that reflects the best of us all as members of our societies and as European citizens. It brings societies ever closer one to another, by uniting them in diversities, strengthening cultural ties, mutual respect and understanding.

Since 1999, the Council of Europe and the European Commission have shared the coordination of these successful days, setting guidelines for countries to follow, creating networks of national correspondents, pooling knowledge and expertise, thereby adding significance to the events and providing better understanding of their goals. The number and range of sites open to the public as part of the initiative have increased over the years.

Over the past eight years the Parliamentary Assembly has adopted resolutions and recommendations closely related to cultural heritage. To name but a few, on Tapping Europe’s tourism potential, The spirit of Europe in museums, The promotion of art history, Private management of cultural heritage and The promotion of art history. It has also reported on such concrete questions as Tax incentives for cultural heritage conservation. It will adopt next month a recommendation on the need to balance economic development with preserving heritage, which refers to the ongoing excavations of the Byzantine harbour here in Istanbul.

The Assembly is convinced of the utmost need to pursue these aims. Parliamentarians are aware that sharing cultural heritage is a way to reach the broadest possible public and through this outreach, to stimulate pride in national cultures without encouraging aggressive nationalism.

The Assembly also fully endorses the democratic principles of the heritage days, that the largest possible number of monuments be open to the public either free of charge or at reduced charges, and that particular focus be given to young people and schoolchildren.

The European Heritage Forum has been a worthwhile addition to the Heritage Days programme. It enables the participants to share their experiences of the successes – and shortcomings – of their own projects. It allows stock-taking of the extent to which the higher goals of the heritage days are achieved, and what can be done to further them. It allows the international stakeholders to assess the comparative value of their initiatives. I sincerely hope that whatever organisational frameworks are found between our two organisations, that we will continue our cooperation in the context of the Heritage Days for many years to come.

In conclusion, I would like to quote from the “European Manifesto for Multiple Cultural Affiliation” written by a group of experts under the auspices of the Council of Europe in 2007.

“Since the end of the Second World War, the Council of Europe and other international institutions and organisations have unceasingly promoted human rights and democracy. Their efforts in this direction must be maintained in order to combat not only extremism and totalitarianism, but also the rise of obscurantism, ostracism and xenophobia, which are fuelled by ignorance, the refusal to accept difference and the rejection of other people.”