Erhan Türbedar said, “Bosniaks recognized Islam with the Ottomans and were always honored by it…”
On the occasion of the International Bosniak Day celebrated on September 28 every year, a program was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Bosnia Sanjak Association in Istanbul. Turkey Bosnia Sanjak Association Vice President Prof. Dr. Adem Fazlıoğlu and Political Analyst Dr. Erhan Türbedar shared important details about the religious, national and historical existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the participants. The program, which was followed with great interest by Bosnians, was broadcast live on Bosnian World television.
ANNOUNCED IN SARAJEVO ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1993
As the moderator of the program, Vice President of Bosnia Sanjak Association Prof. Dr. Adem Fazlıoğlu said, “After the establishment of the party led by Aliyah, there was a discussion between Adil Zulfikarpasic, Muhamed Filipovic and Aliyah İzzetbegovic. Zulfikarpasic and Filipovic said, ‘Let's put Bosnianism first, let's keep Islamic discourses in the background. Europe is pressing us on this issue and making us seem fundamentalist.’ Aliyah Izetbegovic did not accept it. The presence of tens of thousands of people who declared themselves only as Muslims in the census in Serbia and Montenegro showed that Aliya was right. Because these two names left the party and formed a new party and received very low votes. On September 28, 1993, all Bosnian intellectuals gathered in Sarajevo under the name of the Council of Bosnians and declared to the world that the Bosnian identity would exist forever.”
THE OTTOMAN PERIOD WAS A PERIOD OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY IN THE BALKANS
Pointing out that the borders of the Balkan geography are defined in different ways by many historians, Dr. Erhan Türbedar said, “If you ask where the Balkans are, every historian will say different things. This has always been a controversial topic. On the other hand, we always see the Balkans as Ottoman borders. Why? Because the borders of the most beautiful period of the Balkans were the borders of the Ottoman period. The Ottomans had a very wide tolerance. They provided peace, tranquility and stability in the Balkans for more than 500 years. They protected churches, they did not interfere with the rites of the Christians. The treaty that Mehmet the Conqueror gave to non-Muslims during his conquest of Bosnia is one of the most important human rights declarations in history. Bosnians learned about Islam from the Ottomans and were honored by it.”
“ALMIGHTY GOD HAS PROTECTED THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA”
Talking about the importance of Aliyah İzzetbegovic for Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Aliya İzzetbegovic and his comrades in arms paid a price to maintain the spiritual and cultural existence of Bosnians. The Serbs are doing everything to slander the war of liberation that Aliyah started for Bosnia. The Serbs and Croats, who have never been able to ally themselves, only agree on sharing the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Last year, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban uttered words meaning ‘The existence of Muslim Bosniaks is a threat to Europe's security’. The first places that the Serbs attacked in the Bosnian War were mosques, libraries and Ottoman archives. Why, they did this because to destroy their national and spiritual culture. But they couldn't calculate something, Almighty God took care of the Bosnian people,” Dr. Erhan Türbedar added.