Having just celebrated the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, it is a great pleasure for me to be able to congratulate the Anti-Defamation League – and National Director Abraham H. Foxman and outgoing National Chairman Glen A. Tobias, in particular – on the 90th anniversary of its establishment.
As we face the threats and challenges of the 21st century, one phenomenon strikes us in Turkey as a scourge that still must be confronted with the utmost vigilance: anti-Semitism. The invaluable work done by the ADL in this vein is critical. This phenomenon is essentially alien to Turkish people, and has been throughout our long history. We are nonetheless aware of the need to tackle this problem in all its manifestations because it unfortunately does continue to pose an important challenge as it exists in insidious ways in many places. Indeed, Turkey's steadfast position against anti-Semitism was made clear by Foreign Minister Gul, both at the recent OIC summit in Malaysia and also afterwards in his message on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the United Nations.
Turkey's strategic partnership with the United States is by far one of the most important assets that we possess and we are working diligently to take this alliance forward based on shared values and goals. Additionally, as the only two democracies in a turbulent region, Turkey and Israel have a multifaceted and thriving relationship that is based on mutual interests. Together, and in keeping with our shared vision, Turkey stands ready to help bring peace, stability, modernity, and good governance to the Greater Middle East.
Let me again congratulate the ADL on this momentous occasion and wish the organization and its many supporters continued success in attained its goals and objectives.
Ambassador Faruk Logoglu
Republic of Turkey
