Sabanci: "Turkey is becoming a plural society"

The 2009 International Sabanci Research Awards were presented to their owners yesterday during a ceremony in Istanbul. Three researchers got their prizes from Sabanci Holding CEO Guler Sabanci. This year's theme for the awards was Pluralism in Today's Turkish Society and Politics. Speaking at the ceremony, Sabanci said, "Turkey is becoming a more and more culturally and politically colorful and rich society. This situation enables us to achieve our goal to reach beyond the level of contemporary civilization, a goal set by Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, for us." She also stressed the importance of cultural, political and religious pluralism to create a democratic society, where everyone has the right to freely express their views and live in peace and harmony and trust each other.