Skip to main contentSkip to navigation

Blair welcomes 'alliance of civilisations' plan

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with Tony Blair at Downing Street
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with Tony Blair at Downing Street. Photograph: Sergio Sionisio/AP

Tony Blair has welcomed a plan for an "alliance of civilisations" to combat Islamist terrorism by bringing together Christian and Muslim nations, after meeting both the Spanish and Turkish leaders in Downing Street today.

Although details were scant on the bones of the proposal from the Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Mr Blair welcomed it as a way of joining "civilised people from whatever race or religion to combat the barbarity of terrorism".

It came after a potentially tricky press conference with Mr Zapatero - the socialist prime minister who withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq after the Madrid train bombing which killed nearly 200 commuters.

But pressed by reporters on whether Britain was now safer than before the Iraq invasion or not, Mr Zapetero insisted the risk from terrorism was "global".

He said: "The risk is global - as seen by the bombings in Egypt." The Spanish leader pointed out that despite pulling troops out of Iraq, his country was currently on its highest possible terrorist alert. Mr Blair said he could see potential in a Spanish proposal for an alliance of Muslim and non-Muslim countries to tackle the problem.

Although admitting he did not know what the US position on an "alliance of civilisations" would be, Mr Blair said: "We discussed the proposal that the Spanish prime minister has made for what he calls an alliance of civilisations, which is the idea that we join together, our countries with Muslim countries - Turkey is particularly involved in this - to form a coalition of civilised people from whatever race or religion to combat the barbarity of terrorism.

"I think this is a proposal with possibilities in it that we can develop over the months to come."

"I should think everyone can see the common-sense of having a coming together of civilised people from whatever religion.

"And that is the importance of it. And the term the alliance of civilisations is in direct contrast to the idea that we are in clash of civilisations.

"It is the terrorists who want to stir up these differences between Islam and the rest of the world.

"And I think the idea of Spain and Turkey and other countries coming together to give a clear statement of solidarity across the religious divide, I think it is very, very important. And I would be very surprised if people didn't support this everywhere. I'm sure they will."

At earlier, and separate, talks with the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan - who refused to allow US troops to pass through his country to invade Iraq - Mr Blair said Britain had "excellent" intelligence cooperation with the state, which has a largely Muslim population but a secular government.

He told reporters at a joint press conference following the talks that the two nations "stand together" in the fight against terrorism.

"We are both, I'm afraid, too familiar with terrorism and its nature and we both agreed about how important it is that we work together to overcome this mutual threat and that we do not allow the terrorists to divide us by nation or by race or by religion.

"We need to be looking at ways in which we enhance the cooperation in the fight against terrorism - and there will be a strong statement I hope coming out of the United Nations millennium summit in September on this.

"The cooperation we have had from Turkey has been excellent, both in terms of intelligence and exchange of information and also the sense of solidarity that this is all civilised people, from whatever religion, against barbaric people who commit these types of terrorist offences.

"And that message has got to be constantly reinforced so the small number of extremists does not grow larger."

Mr Erdogan pointed out that his country had lost tens of thousands of lives to terrorism and praised Mr Blair's handling of the London attacks.

International solidarity was the key to defeating the extremists, he said. "Innocent lives are lost to terrorism; to prevent it we have to work together to solve this problem of terrorism."

On Cyprus, Mr Blair said he still hoped negotiations could be opened on schedule on October 3.

The British prime minister was also forced to defend his home secretary, Charles Clarke, from criticisms for flying out to join his family on holiday today, while being responsible for the manhunt against the suspected terrorist bombers still at large in the country.

Mr Blair said it was "sensible" for politicians to take holidays and that he himself would be taking his family holiday, starting next week.

"The government is carrying on functioning. I personally think it is sensible for people to take the holiday that they should have. At any point in time if there is a development that requires his presence he comes back immediately. Nobody in this world today is more than a few hours away from coming back.

"When I go away, which I will do because I want to take a break with my family, I can come back at any point in time that anything happens. So I think, if we are fair, it is right."

Mr Blair's announcement that he will take his own summer break next week comes despite a Downing Street ban on discussing the location of his holiday plans.