Terrorism threatens all humanity, Turkish parliament speaker says

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

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Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek said on Jan. 20 that terrorism "threatens all of humanity," strongly condemning all acts of terror across the world and calling for a joint stance on fighting against it.

“I, as a member of a country that has lost around 40,000 victims to terrorist acts, strongly condemn all acts of terrorism,” said Çiçek during the opening speech at the 10th conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

He said the conference was timed to take place during a period when key developments have been occurring in the Muslim world and elsewhere, including "critical and substantial developments that directly effect Muslim people’s peace, welfare and security in Syria, Iraq, Palestine and other Islamic countries."

Çiçek said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has become a source of threat and instability to the whole world.

“Terrorism is a crime against humanity that we should all strongly condemn,” he added.

Çiçek also asked for a joint response to other terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, in addition to the Paris attack that killed a total of 17 people in the first week of January.

“Members of a religion cannot be labeled with the names, symbols and terms used for the terrorists,” he said, adding that "as long as humanity does not take a joint stance on fighting against all kinds of terrorism, it will not be possible to eradicate terrorism."