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TURKEY'S NATION OF FAITHS
ASSYRIAN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY AINA
March 2 2012
ANKARA -- After decades of official neglect and mistrust, Turkey has
taken several steps to ensure the rights of the country's non-Muslim
religious minorities, and thus to guarantee that the rule of law is
applied equally for all Turkish citizens, regardless of individuals'
religion, ethnicity, or language.
Turkey's religious minorities include Greek Orthodox, Armenian,
Assyrian, Kaldani, and other Christian denominations, as well as Jews,
all of whom are integral parts of Turkish society. As part of the
Turkish government's new initiative to end any sort of discrimination
against these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gül has
emphasized that message by receiving Bartholemew, the Greek-Orthodox
Patriarch of Istanbul, and by visiting a church and a synagogue in
Hatay -- a first by a Turkish president.
In August 2009, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ~_an met with
leaders of religious minorities on Büyükada, the largest of the
Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara, and listened to their problems
and concerns, a clear signal of his government's intent to buttress
their sense of civil inclusion. As Deputy Prime Minister, I met with
representatives of religious minorities in March 2010, and visited the
Armenian and Greek Orthodox Patriarchies in 2010 and 2011. Likewise,
Turkey's minister for European Union affairs, Egemen BaÄ~_ıÅ~_,
has met with these communities' leaders on several occasions.
Beyond establishing warm relations between the Turkish government
and the country's religious minorities, official policy has been
changing as well. In May 2010, Prime Minister ErdoÄ~_an issued an
official statement that warned public servants and citizens against
any discrimination against religious minorities, and that emphasized
the absolute equality of Turkey's non-Muslim citizens.
But the groundwork for the initiative of recent years was laid long
before. In August 2003, the ErdoÄ~_an-led government introduced
legal changes to resolve property-rights issues related to religious
minority associations. For the first time in the Republic's history,
365 landholdings and buildings belonging to the minority communities
were legally registered under their name. In 2008, the government,
despite fierce opposition from other political parties, changed the
Law of Associations and allowed religious-minority associations to
purchase real estate (and to receive contributions, regardless of size,
from abroad).
Then, in August 2011, an important amendment to the Associations
law mandated the return of more than 350 properties to religious
minorities. As part of these changes, the Greek-Orthodox Girls School
in BeyoÄ~_lu, Istanbul, and the Jewish Community Center in Izmir have
been granted legal status, ending a century-old dispute.
Even before that, in November 2010, the Greek-Orthodox Orphanage on
Halki Island was returned to the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchy. In order
to facilitate their religious duties, the Orthodox metropolitans were
granted Turkish citizenship. Furthermore, the Associations Council,
the country's highest authority on religious associations, now includes
for the first time a non-Muslim member representing minority faiths.
Moreover, the Directorate-General of Associations has been charged with
the task of renovating houses of worship used by religious minorities,
including the historic Aya Nikola Church in Gökçeada Ã~Ganakkale, and
the Assyrian Catholic Church and Greek Catholic Church in Iskenderun. A
number of other churches and synagogues are also under renovation.
The authorities have taken many other historically and symbolically
important steps as well. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has
renovated the Panagia Sümela Monastery, a 1,600-year-old church in
Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. The first mass in decades was held in
August 2010, led by Bartholomew and attended by hundreds of worshippers
from Greece, Russia, Georgia, Europe, the United States, and Turkey.
Another milestone was the renovation and opening of the 1,100-year
old Armenian Aghtamar Church in March 2007. The first mass in 95
years was held in the church, led by the Armenian Archbishop Aram
AteÅ~_yan and attended by thousands of worshippers.
These measures have been taken to address the long-standing problems
of Turkey's non-Muslim religious minorities. Turkish Muslims have
lived with Jewish and Christian communities for centuries and treated
them with respect and compassion. We are determined to solve their
remaining problems, and we believe that we can do so through mutual
trust and cooperation. Turkey's Jews and Christians are full citizens
with equal rights, and we will work to ensure that this reality is
recognized in all areas of the country's life.
ASSYRIAN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY AINA
March 2 2012
ANKARA -- After decades of official neglect and mistrust, Turkey has
taken several steps to ensure the rights of the country's non-Muslim
religious minorities, and thus to guarantee that the rule of law is
applied equally for all Turkish citizens, regardless of individuals'
religion, ethnicity, or language.
Turkey's religious minorities include Greek Orthodox, Armenian,
Assyrian, Kaldani, and other Christian denominations, as well as Jews,
all of whom are integral parts of Turkish society. As part of the
Turkish government's new initiative to end any sort of discrimination
against these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gül has
emphasized that message by receiving Bartholemew, the Greek-Orthodox
Patriarch of Istanbul, and by visiting a church and a synagogue in
Hatay -- a first by a Turkish president.
In August 2009, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ~_an met with
leaders of religious minorities on Büyükada, the largest of the
Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara, and listened to their problems
and concerns, a clear signal of his government's intent to buttress
their sense of civil inclusion. As Deputy Prime Minister, I met with
representatives of religious minorities in March 2010, and visited the
Armenian and Greek Orthodox Patriarchies in 2010 and 2011. Likewise,
Turkey's minister for European Union affairs, Egemen BaÄ~_ıÅ~_,
has met with these communities' leaders on several occasions.
Beyond establishing warm relations between the Turkish government
and the country's religious minorities, official policy has been
changing as well. In May 2010, Prime Minister ErdoÄ~_an issued an
official statement that warned public servants and citizens against
any discrimination against religious minorities, and that emphasized
the absolute equality of Turkey's non-Muslim citizens.
But the groundwork for the initiative of recent years was laid long
before. In August 2003, the ErdoÄ~_an-led government introduced
legal changes to resolve property-rights issues related to religious
minority associations. For the first time in the Republic's history,
365 landholdings and buildings belonging to the minority communities
were legally registered under their name. In 2008, the government,
despite fierce opposition from other political parties, changed the
Law of Associations and allowed religious-minority associations to
purchase real estate (and to receive contributions, regardless of size,
from abroad).
Then, in August 2011, an important amendment to the Associations
law mandated the return of more than 350 properties to religious
minorities. As part of these changes, the Greek-Orthodox Girls School
in BeyoÄ~_lu, Istanbul, and the Jewish Community Center in Izmir have
been granted legal status, ending a century-old dispute.
Even before that, in November 2010, the Greek-Orthodox Orphanage on
Halki Island was returned to the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchy. In order
to facilitate their religious duties, the Orthodox metropolitans were
granted Turkish citizenship. Furthermore, the Associations Council,
the country's highest authority on religious associations, now includes
for the first time a non-Muslim member representing minority faiths.
Moreover, the Directorate-General of Associations has been charged with
the task of renovating houses of worship used by religious minorities,
including the historic Aya Nikola Church in Gökçeada Ã~Ganakkale, and
the Assyrian Catholic Church and Greek Catholic Church in Iskenderun. A
number of other churches and synagogues are also under renovation.
The authorities have taken many other historically and symbolically
important steps as well. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has
renovated the Panagia Sümela Monastery, a 1,600-year-old church in
Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. The first mass in decades was held in
August 2010, led by Bartholomew and attended by hundreds of worshippers
from Greece, Russia, Georgia, Europe, the United States, and Turkey.
Another milestone was the renovation and opening of the 1,100-year
old Armenian Aghtamar Church in March 2007. The first mass in 95
years was held in the church, led by the Armenian Archbishop Aram
AteÅ~_yan and attended by thousands of worshippers.
These measures have been taken to address the long-standing problems
of Turkey's non-Muslim religious minorities. Turkish Muslims have
lived with Jewish and Christian communities for centuries and treated
them with respect and compassion. We are determined to solve their
remaining problems, and we believe that we can do so through mutual
trust and cooperation. Turkey's Jews and Christians are full citizens
with equal rights, and we will work to ensure that this reality is
recognized in all areas of the country's life.