Friday, December 7, 2007

During yesterday's parliamentary session a debate was sparked during budget deliberations for 2008, with culture proving to be a significant bone of contention.

Avni Doğan spoke on behalf of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and noted, "Turkey's cultural color is one and the same." However, Sebahat Tuncel from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) noted, "Kurdish folk songs, tales and tongue twisters should be compiled and the artists who work in this field should be supported."

Speaking about the 2008 budgets for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Directorate General of Opera and Ballet, the Directorate General of State Theaters, the Customs Undersecretariat, the Directorate General of Foundations and the Directorate General of Social Assistance and Solidarity, MHP Antalya deputy Toskay said the current amount allocated from 2008's budget for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism wouldn't allow any serious culture and tourism policies. Toskay stressed that tourism products had to be diversified and the country should be better promoted for tourism.

AK Party Kahramanmaraş deputy Doğan recalled that there was a growing tendency recently to "create cultural maps" in Turkey, and remarked: "Turkey's cultural color is one and the same. English people speak English, French people speak French and Germans speak German. However, while referring to their culture, they say, 'Western or European culture'. Our culture is one and the same and it is called 'Turco-Islamic culture'." Doğan further noted that describing Turkey as a "mosaic of cultures," was a "malicious approach."

DTP İstanbul deputy Tuncel, who spoke for the first time since his oath-taking ceremony, said that Turkey had many different cultures apart from the Kurdish culture and that it was essential that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism research those cultures as well. Underscoring the importance of developing the Kurdish culture for social peace, Tuncel added that there had to be projects to encourage civil society organizations, publishing houses, institutes and music production companies working to foster Kurdish culture. Tuncel demanded support for artists who work in the fields of Kurdish literature, cinema and folklore. Kurdish songs, poems, tales and tongue twisters should be compiled for archive purposes, she said.