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ALEVI ASSOCIATIONS DEMAND RETURN OF THEIR PROPERTY
Today's Zaman
May 18 2012
Alevi associations have demanded the return of confiscated properties
at a meeting in Ä°stanbul focusing on expectations for the new
constitution.
Approximately 30 Alevi associations from Turkey met at the Å~^ahkulu
Sultan Foundation in the district of Göztepe. The foundation's
chairman, Mehmet Tural, said most of the properties confiscated in
the years of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey should be
returned. Tural referred to the governmental decree of 2011 ordering
the return of properties belonging to Armenian and Greek minorities,
and said the Alevi population should also benefit from the practice
of returning confiscated properties.
"We are very pleased with the decision to return confiscated
properties to the Armenians and Greeks of Turkey as they are citizens
of this country. But we are dismayed by the fact that there is no new
regulation concerning return of property which used to belong to the
Alevi foundations and dervish lodges, even though Alevis fought in
the War of Independence on the front lines," he said.
Tural also indicated that if their demands are not met inside Turkey's
judicial system they will seek ways to raise it in international
judicial institutions.
Speaking at the meeting, lawyer Zeynel Ozturk said Turkey's new
constitution should guarantee the judiciary's independence and
neutrality. In addition he said there should no longer be provision
for the establishment of special courts. Ozturk also said Alevi houses
of worship, known as cemevi, should be awarded legal status.
Further demands of the new constitution being made by Alevis include
equal rights in relation to Turkish citizenship; abolition of mandatory
religious education; a right to education in their mother-tongue;
removal of the 10 percent election threshold and of immunity of
parliamentary members outside parliament.
From: Baghdasarian
Today's Zaman
May 18 2012
Alevi associations have demanded the return of confiscated properties
at a meeting in Ä°stanbul focusing on expectations for the new
constitution.
Approximately 30 Alevi associations from Turkey met at the Å~^ahkulu
Sultan Foundation in the district of Göztepe. The foundation's
chairman, Mehmet Tural, said most of the properties confiscated in
the years of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey should be
returned. Tural referred to the governmental decree of 2011 ordering
the return of properties belonging to Armenian and Greek minorities,
and said the Alevi population should also benefit from the practice
of returning confiscated properties.
"We are very pleased with the decision to return confiscated
properties to the Armenians and Greeks of Turkey as they are citizens
of this country. But we are dismayed by the fact that there is no new
regulation concerning return of property which used to belong to the
Alevi foundations and dervish lodges, even though Alevis fought in
the War of Independence on the front lines," he said.
Tural also indicated that if their demands are not met inside Turkey's
judicial system they will seek ways to raise it in international
judicial institutions.
Speaking at the meeting, lawyer Zeynel Ozturk said Turkey's new
constitution should guarantee the judiciary's independence and
neutrality. In addition he said there should no longer be provision
for the establishment of special courts. Ozturk also said Alevi houses
of worship, known as cemevi, should be awarded legal status.
Further demands of the new constitution being made by Alevis include
equal rights in relation to Turkish citizenship; abolition of mandatory
religious education; a right to education in their mother-tongue;
removal of the 10 percent election threshold and of immunity of
parliamentary members outside parliament.
From: Baghdasarian