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Religious Minorities In Turkey: 'An Endangered Species'?

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  • Religious Minorities In Turkey: 'An Endangered Species'?

    RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN TURKEY: 'AN ENDANGERED SPECIES'?
    by Nanore Barsoumian

    http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/04/12/religious-minorities-in-turkey-an-endangered-species/
    April 12, 2012

    U.S. Religious Freedom Report Serves Tough Warning

    The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
    (USCIRF) in its 2012 annual report recommended designating Turkey as a
    "country of particular concern (CPC)" for its "systematic and
    egregious limitations on the freedom of religion." Turkey was on the
    commission's "Watch List" from 2009-11.

    The commission found that restrictions on the rights of religious
    minorities have led to the "critical shrinkage" and even disappearance
    of non-Muslim communities.

    The commission found that restrictions on the rights of religious
    minorities--from owning, maintaining, and transferring communal and
    individual property, to training clergy and holding religious
    classes--have led to the "critical shrinkage" and even disappearance of
    non-Muslim communities. One senior Christian religious leader grieved,
    "We are an endangered species here in Turkey."

    USCIRF charges the Turkish government of interfering in the religious
    matters of minorities, and highlights the presence of "societal
    discrimination," occasional violence, restrictions on religious
    attire, anti-Semitism in the society and the media, and the
    infringement on the property rights of religious minorities. It notes
    that religious minorities are targeted within Turkish society "partly
    because most are both religious and ethnic minorities and, therefore,
    are viewed with suspicion by some ethnic Turks."

    USCIRF relied on the State Department's estimates on the number of
    religious minorities in Turkey, which total about 0.1 percent of the
    population. According to those figures, the largest non-Muslim group
    is the Armenian Orthodox community numbering at 65,000, followed by
    23,000 Jews; 15,000 Syriac Christians; 10,000 Baha'is; 5,000 Yezidis;
    3,300 Jehovah's Witnesses; 3,000 Protestant Christians; 1,700 Greek
    Orthodox Christians; and small communities of Georgian and Bulgarian
    Orthodox Christians, Maronites, Chaldeans, Nestorians, Assyrians, and
    Roman Catholics.

    Religious minorities fall into two categories in Turkey, according to
    the report: 1) The Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish
    communities (which are protected under the 1923 Lausanne Treaty),
    alongside the Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean, and Roman Catholic
    communities (which are not covered by the treaty; referred to as the
    "Lausanne Treaty plus three|| minorities"); and 2) religious minorities
    that are not bound by ethnicity, like the Jehovah's Witnesses,
    Protestants, and Baha'is. Those in the former category have certain
    limited legal rights. Furthermore, only the religious minorities
    covered by the Lausanne Treaty can call their religious institutions
    churches or synagogues; the other groups must refer to their houses of
    worship as cultural or community centers.

    Recommendations

    In a section titled "Priority Recommendations," USCIRF advises the
    U.S. government to urge Turkey to to comply with the Lausanne Treaty;
    to extend full legal recognition to its religious minorities; to allow
    clergy to be trained in Turkey; to reopen the Greek Orthodox
    Theological Seminary of Halki; and to return the Syrian Orthodox Mor
    Gabriel Monastery. The commission also recommended that the U.S.

    follow a similar policy in demanding full religious rights for
    non-Muslim Cypriots, and called for the "restoration" of their
    religious institutions and cemeteries, and an end to "the ongoing
    desecration of religious sites."

    USCIRF also recommended that the U.S. government urge Turkey to
    eliminate Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code; to end the
    requirement of listing religion on national identity cards; to take
    away the government privilege of expropriating minority properties; to
    "expand and expedite" the process of the return of properties to
    minority groups; to allow the Armenian Patriarchate to establish a
    theological faculty; to denounce violent speeches and acts against
    religious and ethnic minorities; to end the use of Maronite, Jewish,
    Greek, and Armenian religious sites in Northern Cyprus as stables,
    storage spaces, car repair shops, or entertainment spots; and to
    cooperate with UN human rights special rapporteurs. It also
    recommended that U.S. officials "speak out publicly" against Turkey's
    human rights violations, especially at the Organization for Security
    and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

    Violence and arrests

    The commission reported on the alleged ultra-nationalist Ergenekon
    conspiracy against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and
    violence against religious minorities. It noted the alleged connection
    of Ergenekon to the 2007 murder of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant
    Dink, and an alleged plot to kill the Armenian and Ecumenical Orthodox
    Patriarchs. The commission also mentioned the allegation that the
    Ergenekon story serves as a cover to arrest prominent members of
    society who are opposed to the AKP.

    The recent anti-Armenian protests in Turkey did not go unnoticed by
    the commission, which charged Turkish officials of possibly inciting
    violence. It highlighted Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin's
    words during the February 2012 anti-Armenian rally at Taksim Square,
    where he said, "As long as the Turkish nation stays alive that blood
    will be answered for."

    The report also referred to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
    ruling against Turkey for failing to protect Hrant Dink, and the many
    shortcomings of the murder trials.

    AKP rule

    In regards to the AKP, in power since 2002, the commission noted that
    "While some view the AKP as a moderate party that espouses Islamic
    religious values within a modern, democratic society, others contend
    that it has more radical intentions, such as the eventual introduction
    of Islamic law in Turkey." USCIRF also noted the concerns of some
    critics who believe the AKP is "solidifying power," especially in the
    judiciary.

    According to the commission, reforms introduced by the AKP may only be
    a temporary fix that could be annulled at a future date--as they are
    not encrypted into law or the constitution. The constitutional reforms
    the ruling party has promised may take years to materialize, and will
    likely face much opposition. "Although most religious minority
    communities in Turkey have noted that Prime Minister Erdogan's
    government has made positive gestures toward them in recent years,
    these generally have not been through permanent, institutional, or
    legal reforms. Rather, rights and privilege have been granted on an ad
    hoc basis, leaving open the possibility that they could be revoked or
    discontinued," warned USCIRF.

    Expropriation, demolition, and Akhtamar diplomacy

    USCIRF lists the periods in Turkish history--within the past 75
    years--marked by the expropriation of minority properties: "First, in
    1936, with the passage of the Foundations Law; second, with the
    passage of the 1971 Private University Law, which required all private
    colleges to be affiliated with a state-run-university; and third, in
    1974, when Turkey ruled that non-Muslim communities could not own
    properties other than those registered in 1936."

    "The government continues to retain the power to expropriate religious
    minority properties," it added.

    The 2008 Foundation Law amendment allowed religious communities to
    apply for the return of confiscated properties. Some 1,400
    applications were sent in; of those, 200 properties were returned by
    August 2011. Some 940 applications were returned for not having
    sufficient documentation; of those, only 500 were resubmitted.

    In August 2011, Erdogan passed a new order that allows individuals or
    institutions to apply for the restitution of properties that were not
    specifically described during registration in 1936--for instance, they
    could be numbered, but not named. Unlike the 2008 decree, the new law
    also allows for applicants to receive monetary compensation for
    properties that were sold to third parties. Since August, 19
    properties have been returned, and the Vakiflar (the General
    Directorate for Foundations) is reviewing around 1,500 applications,
    noted USCIRF.

    The new laws shouldn't be cause for joy, however, as they are not set
    in stone, and the government can still expropriate properties. "While
    this action is commendable, it is not codified by law," the USCIRF
    report read. "In addition, the 219 properties returned since 2008
    represent only a small portion of the minority properties expropriated
    by successive Turkish governments over many years. Moreover, despite
    the 2008 amendments and the August 2011 decree, the Turkish government
    retains the right to expropriate land from religious communities,
    although it has not confiscated any religious foundations' properties
    since 2007."

    USCIRF was also told that some religious minority groups do not
    register their properties for fear of harassment or discrimination,
    and that officials have used bureaucratic means to prevent groups from
    opening and maintaining properties.

    On Jan. 12, an Istanbul court banned the Vakiflar from selling or
    using an historical Armenian building, the Sansaryan Han. The Armenian
    Patriarchate had applied for its return, but the Vakiflar claimed the
    Patriarchate did not hold the proper title for it. The report also
    notes other victories for religious minorities in recent months, such
    as the return of the Greek Orthodox orphanage on the Turkish island of
    Buyukada to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

    USCIRF also noted instances of recent appropriations, including the
    Turkish government's "attempted seizure" of parts of the ancient
    Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery. The Turkish Supreme Court granted
    "substantial" parts of the property to the Turkish Treasury.

    The "accidental" demolition in February of an Armenian cemetery was
    also mentioned. The property, located in Malatya, included a chapel
    and an annex. In response to the demolition, the mayor and governor
    publically apologized, vowed to rebuild it, and to, as an expression
    of goodwill, also restore an Armenian church in Hrant Dink's
    neighborhood.

    Also in recent months, the Turkish government allowed religious
    minorities to use certain religious sites, for example the Akhtamar
    Armenian Orthodox Church on Lake Van in September 2010 and 2011, and
    the re-consecration of the St. Giragos Armenian Church in Dikranagerd
    (Diyarbakir) in October 2011. On this latter point, USCIRF failed to
    mention that the initiative was not that of Turkish authorities (in
    fact, none were present at the ceremony), but of the predominantly
    Kurdish Sur Municipality in Diyarbakir, its mayor Abdullah Demirbas,
    and Diyarbakir mayor Osman Baydemir. Both are members of the
    pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), which has been the target
    of government persecution.

    In discussing the Turkish government's interference in religious
    minority affairs, USCIRF cited the government's meddling in the
    selection process of the Armenian Patriarch, after Patriarch Mesrop
    Mutafian fell ill. The Turkish Interior Ministry, contrary to the
    Armenian Orthodox tradition, proposed the selection of a patriarchal
    vicar general. The post was filled following the nomination of Aram
    Ateshian.

    Religious education

    The USCIRF noted that despite being the largest non-Muslim religious
    minority in Turkey, the Armenian Orthodox community cannot produce
    future generations of clerics as it has no seminaries in the country.

    "[The Armenian community] today has only 26 priests to minister to an
    estimated population of 65,000," wrote the commission, adding, "The
    lack of institutions to train future religious leaders of the
    religious minority communities further erodes their long-term
    viability."

    As to primary and secondary schools, religious minority schools were
    allowed to operate under the supervision of the ministry of education,
    and the direct supervision of a Muslim deputy principal. In 2007 that
    rule changed; non-Muslims are now allowed to fill that post. However,
    conditions still make it difficult for non-Muslim students to attend
    their community schools. Ministry of education officials attend
    student registrations to verify that a child's father belongs to the
    said community. In February 2011, the acting Armenian patriarch told
    USCIRF that around 12,000 children of Armenian migrant workers were
    not allowed to attend Armenian school. The ministry of education is
    purportedly drafting a bill to allow such students to attend minority
    schools as "visiting students." Since September 2011, some children of
    migrant workers have indeed been allowed into the schools.

    USCIRF also noted that some Turkish textbooks contained antagonistic
    statements towards minorities.

    Other issues of concern

    The commission discussed issues concerning the country's Muslim
    population, including the marginalized Alevis who face serious legal
    restrictions; conscientious objectors to military service who lack
    alternative service options, and face the possibility of imprisonment;
    and the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group that is viewed as a
    "sect."

    It also expressed concern for the religious rights of non-Muslim
    Cypriots living in northern Cyprus. "...Turkey's military control over
    northern Cyprus supports numerous arbitrary regulations implemented by
    local Turkish Cypriot authorities," the report read. "These
    regulations limit the religious activities of all non-Muslims living
    in northern Cyprus, deny these religious communities the right to
    worship freely and restore, maintain, and utilize their religious
    properties, and threaten the long-term survival of non-Muslim
    religious communities in the area."

    U.S. Policy

    In discussing U.S. foreign policy, USCIRF noted the longstanding U.S.

    presidential call to reopen the Greek Orthodox Theological School of
    Halki, and to address the concerns of the country's Kurdish
    population; U.S. support of Turkey's EU accession; the classification
    of the PKK as a terrorist organization; and U.S. support of the
    reunification of Cyprus.

    In a letter in support of USCIRF's designation of Turkey as a CPC,
    commissioners Nina Shea, Leonard Leo, and Elizabeth Prodromou
    reiterated some of the findings of USCIRF in regards to Hrant Dink,
    and added, "This continues a pattern of impunity in cases of religious
    violence. Even starting a discussion on genocide of Christians that
    occurred 100 years ago is a criminal offense in Turkey. Dink himself
    was convicted of 'insulting Turkishness' for trying to do so."

    "After past genocide, and other violence, and current, suffocating
    legal restrictions, Turkey's Christian communities are barely hanging
    on," continued the commissioners. "Every year that passes without
    substantial religious reform places these minorities in greater peril
    and helps seal their fate. In the Arab Spring, Turkey holds itself out
    to be an Islamist model. But it is no model for religious freedom. We
    have waited for ten years for the AKP to make a real difference in the
    Christians' fate. We can no longer sit by and just 'Watch.'"

    For the full report, click here.

    http://www.uscirf.gov/images/Annual%20Report%20of%20USCIRF%202012(2).pdf


    From: Baghdasarian
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