ISTANBUL
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia were today's chronic diseases.
Arinc delivered a speech at a session on Islamophobia and racism in the Istanbul World Forum on Saturday.
The word Islam meant peace and tranquility, he said.
There was a hostility against Islam, he said and stated that there was need for a legal precaution against Islamophobia and xenophobia.
Arinc said that respect for sacred things meant respect for individual rights.
If Islamophobia continued, it would cause unrest, intercultural fight and clash of civilizations, he added.
