Major role for India, Turkey in 'Eurasia' formation: Ecevit

CALCUTTA, APRIL 2. The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Bulent Ecevit, today said India and Turkey should play a major role for the formation of ``Eurasia'' following the dismantling of ideological blocs that once divided the world.

``The atmosphere has changed after the breaking of the ideological blocs that divided Europe and Asia till the eighties. In the new world order, Asia and Europe are coming together in which democracies like India and Turkey can play great roles,'' Mr. Ecevit said at a civic reception accorded to him by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

At Shantiniketan earlier in the morning, Mr. Ecevit was honoured with the `Desikottama', the highest literary award of the Visva Bharati University founded by Rabindranath Tagore whose works he translated into the Turkish language.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ecevit lauded India's secular credentials, saying it was only because of the country's commitment to secularism and democracy that the world's largest concentration of Muslims, after Indonesia, could live in peace and harmony with people from other religions.

``In the later part of last century, India took a real initiative in establishing its democratic values and secularism, making several compromises. In India, a 14-party coalition can survive, proving people are accustomed to working together,'' he said hailing the Indian democratic system.

``India and Turkey have strong roots embedded in history and we are now coming closer by signing several joint declarations,'' he said.

However, he said economic ties between the two countries were moving at a slow pace and hoped his visit might boost the same as he was being accompanied by about 40 businessmen from Turkey.

``Turkey's export has increased ten-fold in the past two decades and now the country is also producing industrial goods apart from its predominantly agricultural produce,'' Mr. Ecevit said.

Earlier in the presence of the former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K. Gujral, the West Bengal Higher Education Minister, Mr. Satya Sadhan Chakraborty, and other prominent persons, Mr. Ecevit was accorded a warm civic reception by the Mayor of Calcutta Municipal Corporation, Mr. Prasanta Chatterjee.

He was presented with an emblem of the corporation, an ``Uttariya'' (a wisp of cloth worn round the shoulder) and other gifts.

Mr. Ecevit, whose love for the Bengali language, Tagore and Sanskrit was lauded at the function, said the day was very special for him. ``I read poetry and stories of Tagore since childhood and had translated his `Geetanjali' when I was only 16.

But I think I can understand Tagore and his ideals better now after a visit to Shantiniketan,'' Mr. Ecevit said.

``The two countries have a cultural closeness that dates back 1000 years and Babar, who founded the Mughal dynasty, had come to India from Turkey. It was during the Babar period of Indian history that the national identity of India emerged,'' Mr Ecevit said, harping on secularism.

``Secularism in our country took strong roots since the historic movement by Kamal Ataturk in the early part of the last century and he showed us that Islam is compatible with secularism,'' he added.

- UNI

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