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PRESIDENT GUL MEETS WITH MINORITY GROUPS
by Vercihan Ziflioglu
Hurriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/president-gul-meets-with-minority-groups.aspx?pageID=238&nID=26535&NewsCatID=339
July 28 2012
Turkey
President Gul hosts leaders of Turkey's minority foundations in
Istanbul. The visit bears significance since the leaders have been
invited together for the first time
An Alevi federation criticizes a fast-breaking dinner that brings
together President Gul and another Alevi group for misrepresenting
the nation's Alevi community. AA photo
The leaders of Turkey's eight minority foundations have been hosted
for the first time at the presidential summer compound in the history
of the Turkish Republic. The visit was significant, as it represented
the first time the leaders of minority communities together have
been hosted at the presidential summer compound in the history of
the Turkish Republic.
The strongest cases at the meeting would belong to three Syriac
foundations, according to information Hurriyet Daily News gathered from
Syriac Catholic Foundation head Zeki BaÅ~_demir and Midyat Syriac Mor
Gabriel Monastery Foundation head Kuryakos Ergun before the meeting.
The Catholic Syriac group planned to put forward its readiness to
relocate the Church's Patriarchate in Beirut to Turkey, and demand the
return of their historical Patriarchate building in Mardin, which has
been turned into a museum. In previous months, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu held a series of negotiations with Syriacs on the topic,
and proposed bringing the Beirut and Damascus Patriarchates to Turkey.
Reactions
Ergun said his foundation would express its reaction to a Court of
Appeals decision describing the monastery as an "invader" and demand
support from Gul.
In addition to Ergun and BaÅ~_demir, Armenian Surp Pırgic Foundation
Hospital head Bedros Å~^irinoglu, Armenian Catholic Foundation
leader Bernard Sarıbay, Syriac Orthodox Foundations representative
Sait Susin, Greek Foundation representative Andon Parisyanos,
Jewish community representative Sami Herman and Bulgarian community
representative Vasil Liyaze attended the meeting, which was organized
through the efforts of Vingas.
While the Syriacs planned to discuss their problems at the meeting,
the Armenian and Greek communities (except the Catholic Armenian
Foundation) said they would thank President Gul for his support of the
Foundations Law, which went into force last year. The Bulgarian and
Jewish communities avoided making any statement. There was a crisis
just before the meeting when it was revealed that a request from the
GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant Bible Church to attend the meeting and
discuss the problems of Protestants living in Turkey had been refused.
Chaldean Catholics, on the other hand, did not want to attend the
meeting, although they were invited. GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant
Bible Church representative Cem Ercin expressed the church's reaction
to the refusal. "They call us 'missionaries'; they won't give us a
church building when we request it, they shut us in apartments and
then insult our churches because they are in apartment buildings;
this is a great contradiction," Ercin said.
Speaking to the Daily News, Vingas said he had paid a visit to the
president early in the summer to facilitate this meeting. "We want
to express the results we have experienced from the Foundations
Law. Also we will express our expectations regarding the perception
of citizenship one more time before the preparation of the new
constitution," Vingas said.
by Vercihan Ziflioglu
Hurriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/president-gul-meets-with-minority-groups.aspx?pageID=238&nID=26535&NewsCatID=339
July 28 2012
Turkey
President Gul hosts leaders of Turkey's minority foundations in
Istanbul. The visit bears significance since the leaders have been
invited together for the first time
An Alevi federation criticizes a fast-breaking dinner that brings
together President Gul and another Alevi group for misrepresenting
the nation's Alevi community. AA photo
The leaders of Turkey's eight minority foundations have been hosted
for the first time at the presidential summer compound in the history
of the Turkish Republic. The visit was significant, as it represented
the first time the leaders of minority communities together have
been hosted at the presidential summer compound in the history of
the Turkish Republic.
The strongest cases at the meeting would belong to three Syriac
foundations, according to information Hurriyet Daily News gathered from
Syriac Catholic Foundation head Zeki BaÅ~_demir and Midyat Syriac Mor
Gabriel Monastery Foundation head Kuryakos Ergun before the meeting.
The Catholic Syriac group planned to put forward its readiness to
relocate the Church's Patriarchate in Beirut to Turkey, and demand the
return of their historical Patriarchate building in Mardin, which has
been turned into a museum. In previous months, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu held a series of negotiations with Syriacs on the topic,
and proposed bringing the Beirut and Damascus Patriarchates to Turkey.
Reactions
Ergun said his foundation would express its reaction to a Court of
Appeals decision describing the monastery as an "invader" and demand
support from Gul.
In addition to Ergun and BaÅ~_demir, Armenian Surp Pırgic Foundation
Hospital head Bedros Å~^irinoglu, Armenian Catholic Foundation
leader Bernard Sarıbay, Syriac Orthodox Foundations representative
Sait Susin, Greek Foundation representative Andon Parisyanos,
Jewish community representative Sami Herman and Bulgarian community
representative Vasil Liyaze attended the meeting, which was organized
through the efforts of Vingas.
While the Syriacs planned to discuss their problems at the meeting,
the Armenian and Greek communities (except the Catholic Armenian
Foundation) said they would thank President Gul for his support of the
Foundations Law, which went into force last year. The Bulgarian and
Jewish communities avoided making any statement. There was a crisis
just before the meeting when it was revealed that a request from the
GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant Bible Church to attend the meeting and
discuss the problems of Protestants living in Turkey had been refused.
Chaldean Catholics, on the other hand, did not want to attend the
meeting, although they were invited. GedikpaÅ~_a Armenian Protestant
Bible Church representative Cem Ercin expressed the church's reaction
to the refusal. "They call us 'missionaries'; they won't give us a
church building when we request it, they shut us in apartments and
then insult our churches because they are in apartment buildings;
this is a great contradiction," Ercin said.
Speaking to the Daily News, Vingas said he had paid a visit to the
president early in the summer to facilitate this meeting. "We want
to express the results we have experienced from the Foundations
Law. Also we will express our expectations regarding the perception
of citizenship one more time before the preparation of the new
constitution," Vingas said.