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TURKEY: RECOGNITION OF FIRST NON-MUSLIM FOUNDATION SINCE 1923
ANSAmed
November 16, 2011 Wednesday 7:46 PM CET
Italy
(ANSAmed) For the first time since 1923, Turkey has authorised the
creation of a non-Muslim foundation, paving the way for the future
recognition of a Jewish body without a generalised slowdown in rules
regulating the sector of religious institutions.
Turkey's general office for foundations (VGM) has accepted a request
by the central Greek high school of Beyoglu, in Istanbul, granting the
first authorisation of its kind in 88 years, according to the website
of the Islamist pro-government newspaper Zaman. The Lausanne Treaty
of 1923, which was signed by Turkey and six other states at the end of
the Turkish War of Independence, recognised 162 non-Muslim foundations
and the birth of this 163rd Greek body brings hope for another two
institutions excluded at the time because of bureaucratic flaws,
one Armenian and one Jewish, says the website, quoting the president
of the VGM, Adnan Ertem. "It is out of the question", though, that
groups unable to demonstrate "a lengthy stay in Turkey", such as that
of the Greek school in Istanbul, may gain the "recognition of legal
or foundation status".
Turkish law stipulates that religious minorities are defined non-Muslim
communities. In 1936, these groups were asked to declare their assets,
obtaining the status of foundations and the possession of the property
that they declared. In August, a rule was introduced ensuring that
some buildings confiscated from non-Muslim groups during the Kemalist
revolution would be returned. Ertem says that he expects around
700 return demands, though so far only one (whose English name, the
"Galata Greek Foundation", was given) have asked for a property to be
returned. "There were 347 assets that we refused to give back. We will
now return them all but other buildings are being demanded without
any documentation being presented," the VGM president explains,
adding that "we cannot take such demands into consideration".
As has already been documented, the beneficiaries of the measure
introduced in August are Greek Orthodox Christians, Chaldean Catholics,
Armenians and Jews, but not Roman Catholics, who are not listed among
the religious minorities present in the Lausanne Treaty.
The measure to return confiscated property to religious minorities
after the census of 1936 was defined by the US as an example of
respect for religious freedom. The European Union says that the return
of assets is one of the conditions for Turkey's entry into the EU,
not least because the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the
dispossessions were illegal.
From: Baghdasarian
ANSAmed
November 16, 2011 Wednesday 7:46 PM CET
Italy
(ANSAmed) For the first time since 1923, Turkey has authorised the
creation of a non-Muslim foundation, paving the way for the future
recognition of a Jewish body without a generalised slowdown in rules
regulating the sector of religious institutions.
Turkey's general office for foundations (VGM) has accepted a request
by the central Greek high school of Beyoglu, in Istanbul, granting the
first authorisation of its kind in 88 years, according to the website
of the Islamist pro-government newspaper Zaman. The Lausanne Treaty
of 1923, which was signed by Turkey and six other states at the end of
the Turkish War of Independence, recognised 162 non-Muslim foundations
and the birth of this 163rd Greek body brings hope for another two
institutions excluded at the time because of bureaucratic flaws,
one Armenian and one Jewish, says the website, quoting the president
of the VGM, Adnan Ertem. "It is out of the question", though, that
groups unable to demonstrate "a lengthy stay in Turkey", such as that
of the Greek school in Istanbul, may gain the "recognition of legal
or foundation status".
Turkish law stipulates that religious minorities are defined non-Muslim
communities. In 1936, these groups were asked to declare their assets,
obtaining the status of foundations and the possession of the property
that they declared. In August, a rule was introduced ensuring that
some buildings confiscated from non-Muslim groups during the Kemalist
revolution would be returned. Ertem says that he expects around
700 return demands, though so far only one (whose English name, the
"Galata Greek Foundation", was given) have asked for a property to be
returned. "There were 347 assets that we refused to give back. We will
now return them all but other buildings are being demanded without
any documentation being presented," the VGM president explains,
adding that "we cannot take such demands into consideration".
As has already been documented, the beneficiaries of the measure
introduced in August are Greek Orthodox Christians, Chaldean Catholics,
Armenians and Jews, but not Roman Catholics, who are not listed among
the religious minorities present in the Lausanne Treaty.
The measure to return confiscated property to religious minorities
after the census of 1936 was defined by the US as an example of
respect for religious freedom. The European Union says that the return
of assets is one of the conditions for Turkey's entry into the EU,
not least because the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the
dispossessions were illegal.
From: Baghdasarian