|
 On
Thursday, March 3, Anavatan Party leader Erkan Mumcu came to Bilkent
University at the invitation of Bilkent Hukuk Kulübü and Kulüp Başkent
to speak about Turkish law and politics.
Mr. Mumcu, a former
minister of Culture and Tourism, imparted his ideas about justice and
democracy, and discussed with students the current political situation
in Turkey. The audience, which included Bilkent administrators and
faculty members as well as students and members of the Turkish press,
filled the C Block Auditorium.
In his talk, Mr. Mumcu
stated that his purpose in coming to Bilkent was to convey his
understanding of "justice" and "rights," which he defined as "the
fundamentals of a democratic society." His talk focused on the
importance of solving the problems of civil and political life through
justice rather than by force, and of establishing a democratic society
based on equality and law. Mr. Mumcu said that the main purpose of
politics should be to maintain a functional law system in order to
protect
the rights of citizens. He emphasized the principle of "the rule of law,"
which he considers crucial to understanding the basis of the state,
economics and politics. According to Mr. Mumcu, this explains why
regimes based on mere power as opposed to justice cannot survive.
During a lively question
and answer period following his talk, Mr. Mumcu expressed his views on
educational and legal reform and commented on current issues in Turkish
politics.
Ekin Enacar (HIST/MA)
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