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Daily Sabah, Turkey
Feb 14 2015
Government seeks to make up for past mistakes to minorities
AYÅ?E Å?AHIN
ISTANBUL
Turkey's ruling party has been exerting major efforts to compensate
for previous governments' unjust treatment of minorities since it came
to power and has recently launched cooperative works with
representatives of foundations and opinion leaders to address the
needs and wishes of minority communities. Ruling party officials have
made a strong case that minorities, who were once unjustly treated as
second-class citizens, should be considered a part of the same culture
they mold together.
Minorities in Turkey, who have lived in the country since its
foundation, have previously faced difficulties securing their most
basic needs of security, having a place to live and freedom to
practice their religion. Now the needs and problems of these groups
that have long-suffered from isolation in the place they call home,
are finally being addressed.
After decades of apathy, which extended to animosity, by the previous
ruling parties since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the
current ruling party, which has been in office for three terms, has
taken up the subject and launched significant work that will come as a
relief to minorities in Turkey. The AK Party is acting more
confidently in admitting that there have been past wrongdoings against
minorities. In so doing, it is detaching itself from previous ruling
parties in both ideology and governmental policies and refuses to see
itself as successor to the Republican People's Party (CHP), who
presided over a single-party term during which the confiscation of
minorities' properties occurred.
The minorities have previously lacked legal rights. Not only were they
victims of the law that banned them from owning a property, but the
properties which they already possessed were also confiscated. In
addition, there were obstacles in forming and using places of worship
and they were not granted equal rights to the rest of the society.
In 1936, during the single-party term of the CHP, Turkey adopted a new
law on foundations, after which they lost autonomy. The law, which
initially targeted Muslim foundations, deeming them a threat to
secularism, also wanted control over minorities as well.
During 1960s, things got a little more difficult for the minorities'
acquisition of new properties, with the creation of bureaucratic
impediments. The harshest amongst these was the ruling handed down by
the Supreme Court of Appeals, which banned minorities' acquiring new
property.
"It appears that the acquisition of real estate by corporate bodies
composed of non-Turkish people was forbidden," the basis of the ruling
read. The minorities being branded as non-Turkish were also an example
of the discrimination they had to face during the period. Indeed
Turkey's former Prime Minister Å?ükrü SaraçoÄ?lu, who was in office
between 1942 and 1946, had labeled the minorities who were Turkish
citizens as "foreigners." During the term of SaraçoÄ?lu, non-Muslims
were exposed to a back-breaking tax, which was written off following
harsh criticism from western circles.
Minorities who constitute less than 1 percent of Turkey's population
are now expressing appreciation towards the new government, which has
been endeavoring to give them back those rights that were once taken
from them and adopt an embracing approach. As a first step, Turkey has
adopted the policy of returning properties to minorities. Within the
context of reforms toward different faith groups in Turkey, 1,014
confiscated foundation properties have been returned and more have
been promised. Almost every one of the properties waiting to be
returned to the minorities were discussed individually by Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu, representatives from minority groups
and nongovernmental organizations during a dinner held on Wednesday.
DavutoÄ?lu assured minorities that they will be treated as a primary
component of Turkey instead of "visitors" or "foreigners." DavutoÄ?lu
said that the rights of minorities will be given back not as a
"favor," but as part of the government's duty.
During the meeting, to which roughly 50 representatives and opinion
leaders attended, discussions were held concerning the problems that
minorities experience and possible solutions. DavutoÄ?lu addressed the
participants saying that the AK Party government has shaken off the
discriminatory attitude toward minorities by putting into practice
policies like the returning of confiscated properties, the assigning
of bureaucrats of Armenian origin and bringing life back to their
places of worship.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/14/government-seeks-to-make-up-for-past-mistakes-to-minorities
Feb 14 2015
Government seeks to make up for past mistakes to minorities
AYÅ?E Å?AHIN
ISTANBUL
Turkey's ruling party has been exerting major efforts to compensate
for previous governments' unjust treatment of minorities since it came
to power and has recently launched cooperative works with
representatives of foundations and opinion leaders to address the
needs and wishes of minority communities. Ruling party officials have
made a strong case that minorities, who were once unjustly treated as
second-class citizens, should be considered a part of the same culture
they mold together.
Minorities in Turkey, who have lived in the country since its
foundation, have previously faced difficulties securing their most
basic needs of security, having a place to live and freedom to
practice their religion. Now the needs and problems of these groups
that have long-suffered from isolation in the place they call home,
are finally being addressed.
After decades of apathy, which extended to animosity, by the previous
ruling parties since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the
current ruling party, which has been in office for three terms, has
taken up the subject and launched significant work that will come as a
relief to minorities in Turkey. The AK Party is acting more
confidently in admitting that there have been past wrongdoings against
minorities. In so doing, it is detaching itself from previous ruling
parties in both ideology and governmental policies and refuses to see
itself as successor to the Republican People's Party (CHP), who
presided over a single-party term during which the confiscation of
minorities' properties occurred.
The minorities have previously lacked legal rights. Not only were they
victims of the law that banned them from owning a property, but the
properties which they already possessed were also confiscated. In
addition, there were obstacles in forming and using places of worship
and they were not granted equal rights to the rest of the society.
In 1936, during the single-party term of the CHP, Turkey adopted a new
law on foundations, after which they lost autonomy. The law, which
initially targeted Muslim foundations, deeming them a threat to
secularism, also wanted control over minorities as well.
During 1960s, things got a little more difficult for the minorities'
acquisition of new properties, with the creation of bureaucratic
impediments. The harshest amongst these was the ruling handed down by
the Supreme Court of Appeals, which banned minorities' acquiring new
property.
"It appears that the acquisition of real estate by corporate bodies
composed of non-Turkish people was forbidden," the basis of the ruling
read. The minorities being branded as non-Turkish were also an example
of the discrimination they had to face during the period. Indeed
Turkey's former Prime Minister Å?ükrü SaraçoÄ?lu, who was in office
between 1942 and 1946, had labeled the minorities who were Turkish
citizens as "foreigners." During the term of SaraçoÄ?lu, non-Muslims
were exposed to a back-breaking tax, which was written off following
harsh criticism from western circles.
Minorities who constitute less than 1 percent of Turkey's population
are now expressing appreciation towards the new government, which has
been endeavoring to give them back those rights that were once taken
from them and adopt an embracing approach. As a first step, Turkey has
adopted the policy of returning properties to minorities. Within the
context of reforms toward different faith groups in Turkey, 1,014
confiscated foundation properties have been returned and more have
been promised. Almost every one of the properties waiting to be
returned to the minorities were discussed individually by Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu, representatives from minority groups
and nongovernmental organizations during a dinner held on Wednesday.
DavutoÄ?lu assured minorities that they will be treated as a primary
component of Turkey instead of "visitors" or "foreigners." DavutoÄ?lu
said that the rights of minorities will be given back not as a
"favor," but as part of the government's duty.
During the meeting, to which roughly 50 representatives and opinion
leaders attended, discussions were held concerning the problems that
minorities experience and possible solutions. DavutoÄ?lu addressed the
participants saying that the AK Party government has shaken off the
discriminatory attitude toward minorities by putting into practice
policies like the returning of confiscated properties, the assigning
of bureaucrats of Armenian origin and bringing life back to their
places of worship.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/14/government-seeks-to-make-up-for-past-mistakes-to-minorities