March 2, 2012
Turkey's Nation of Faiths
by Blent Arn (03-02-12) in Ankara
After decades of official slight as good as mistrust, Turkey has taken multiform stairs to safeguard a rights of a country's non-Muslim eremite minorities, as good as thus to pledge which a order of law is practical equally for all Turkish citizens, in any case of individuals' religion, ethnicity, or language.
Turkey's eremite minorities embody Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Assyrian, Kaldani, as good as alternative Christian denominations, as good as Jews, all of whom are integral tools of Turkish society.
As partial of a Turkish government's new beginning to end any sort of discrimination opposite these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gl has emphasized which summary by reception Bartholemew, a Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Istanbul, as good as by upon vacation a church as good as a synagogue in Hatay a initial by a Turkish president.
In Aug 2009, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan met with leaders of eremite minorities upon Bykada, a largest of a Prince Islands in a Sea of Marmara, as good as listened to their problems as good as concerns, a clear signal of his government's vigilant to strut their sense of polite inclusion. As Deputy Prime Minister, I met with member of eremite min! orities in Mar 2010, as good as visited a Armenian as good as Greek Orthodox Patriarchies in 2010 as good as 2011. Likewise, Turkey's apportion for European Union affairs, Egemen Ba, has met with these communities' leaders upon multiform occasions.
Beyond substantiating warm family between a Turkish supervision as good as a country's religious
minorities, official policy has been changing as well. In May 2010, Prime Minister Erdoan issued an official statement which warned open servants as good as adults opposite any discrimination opposite eremite minorities, as good as which emphasized a absolute equality of Turkey's non-Muslim citizens.
But a grounds for a beginning of new years was laid long before. In Aug 2003, a Erdoan-led supervision introduced authorised changes to finalise property-rights issues associated to eremite minority associations. For a initial time in a Republic's history, 365 landholdings as good as buildings belonging to a minority communities were legally registered under their name. In 2008, a government, notwithstanding fierce antithesis from alternative political parties, altered a Law of Associations as good as authorised religious-minority associations to squeeze real estate (and to receive contributions, in any case of size, from abroad).
Then, in Aug 2011, an critical legislative addition to a Associations law mandated a lapse of more than 350 properties to eremite minorities. As partial of these changes, a Greek-Orthodox Girls School in Beyolu, Istanbul, as good as a Jewish Community Center in Izmir have been postulated authorised status, ending a century-old dispute.
Even before that, in Nov 2010, a Greek-Orthodox Orphanage upon Halki Island was returned to a Greek-Orthodox Patriarchy. In order to facilitate their eremite duties, a Orthod! ox metro politans were postulated Turkish citizenship. Furthermore, a Associations Council, a country's highest authority upon eremite associations, now includes for a initial time a non-Muslim member representing minority faiths.
Moreover, a Directorate-General of Associations has been charged with a task of renovating houses of worship used by eremite minorities, including a ancestral Aya Nikola Church in Gkeada anakkale, as good as a Assyrian Catholic Church as good as Greek Catholic Church in Iskenderun. A number of alternative churches as good as synagogues are also under renovation.
The authorities have taken most alternative historically as good as symbolically critical stairs as well. The Ministry of Culture as good as Tourism has renovated a Panagia Smela Monastery, a 1,600-year-old church in Trabzon upon a Black Sea coast. The initial mass in decades was hold in Aug 2010, led by Bartholomew as good as attended by hundreds of worshippers from Greece, Russia, Georgia, Europe, a United States, as good as Turkey.
Another milestone was a renovation as good as opening of a 1,100-year old Armenian Aghtamar Church in Mar 2007. The initial mass in 95 years was hold in a church, led by a Armenian Archbishop Aram Ateyan as good as attended by thousands of worshippers.
These measures have been taken to address a long-standing problems of Turkey's non-Muslim eremite minorities. Turkish Muslims have lived with Jewish as good as Christian communities for centuries as good as treated with colour them with apply oneself as good as compassion. We are determined to compromise their superfluous problems, as good as you hold which you can do so by mutual certitude as good as cooperation. Turkey's Jews as good as Christians are full adults with equal rights, as good as you will work to safeguard which this reality is recognized in all areas of a country's life.
Blent Arn is Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2012.
www.project-syndicate.org
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