Inter-Cultural Dialogue

Last year one of the formations that was realized within the foundation was the Intercultural Dialogue Platform. As its first activity, the Platform organized an international symposium on April 13-16, 2000 in Şanliurfa and Istanbul entitled "Abraham: A Symbol of hope and a Bond of Unity in Dialogue for Jews, Christians and Muslims," the purpose of which was to introduce to other nations the Anatolian tradition of tolerance that has sprung from the heritage of culture and belief and from the depths of our history.

We believe that such meetings have a distinct importance in relation to spreading our country's and state's message of love and tolerance. Starting from the point of the life and prophetic experience of Abraham, the common "symbolic personality" of three great world religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the Symposium aimed to contribute to the spread of peace and trust among nations in the 3rd millennium. Holding the symposium in Istanbul, Turkey, a crossroads of belief, culture and civilization, and Sanliurfa/Harran, the place accepted as the area where Abraham was born and lived, makes it even more meaningful. Distinguished social scientists from the international academic community, theologians and spiritual leaders attended the symposium.