"The current government has managed to assure a minimum harmony between the pro-Islamic tendencies of the majority party and the laity of the State", and "in spite of all its defects and incongruity, it kept the economic growth of the country. For this reason, it obtained the trust of the people". Thus, Father Ruben Tierrablanca, of the International Brotherhood for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in Istanbul, explained the victory of AKP to SIR. AKP is the party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 47.78% of votes at the legislative elections on July 22nd. According to the religious, "another certainly important aspect, especially for the Christians living in the country, is that this government is going on to express the desire to be part of the European Union, with all the consequences which this entry would imply for religious minorities, and in practice, for the Catholic Church. Until now, the Catholic Church has not even been acknowledged as religious minority". "In any case concluded Father Tierrablanca, – apart from the electoral results, we Christians have to find out new ways for peaceful relationships, to witness Christian values; every situation gives us an opportunity to drink deep from the clear fountains of evangelical hope".
