Co-sponsored by Spain and Turkey, the Alliance of Civilizations initiative is not devoid of political calculation. To the Spaniards, it helps to justify their abrupt withdrawal from Iraq in 2004; for the Turks, it is yet another vehicle in their struggle, as the vital bridge between Islam and the West, for admission into the European Union.
由西班牙和土耳其共同发起的文明联盟倡议并非完全没有政治上的考虑。对于西班牙人来说，它能够帮助表明他们在2004年突然从伊拉克撤军的合理性；而对土耳其人来说，这是他们作为伊斯兰和西方之间的重要桥梁寻求加入欧盟的另一个手段。