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18 November 2005

European Union report criticises religious rights in Turkey

Jonathan Luxmoore
Warsaw (ENI). The European Commission has criticised Turkey for infringing Christians' religious rights, a month after the country began talks with the aim of joining the 25-nation European Union.

"In practice, non-Muslim religious communities continue to encounter significant problems: they face restricted property rights and interference in managing their foundations, and they are not allowed to train clergy," the commission said in its 2005 report on Turkey's progress towards joining the EU.

The report was published in Brussels on 9 November. It said Turkey had ratified international human rights instruments and accepted European Court judgements, but still needed to strengthen and enforce its own domestic laws. It noted that minority rights were frequently violated, as were freedoms of association and assembly, and said "only very limited progress" had been noted "in terms of both legislation and practice" on religious rights.

"Non-Turkish Christian clergy continue to experience difficulties with respect to the granting and renewal of visas and residence and work permits. Religious textbooks have been redrafted to address the concerns of Christian minorities. However, it is still not possible for clergymen and graduates from theological colleges to teach religion," the report said.

Christians have often complained of pressure in Turkey, most of whose 67 million inhabitants are Sunni Muslims, but which is officially a secular state.

The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to safeguard religious freedom as a precondition for EU admission in 2015, although some Christian groups have expressed scepticism about new human rights legislation and Penal Code amendments.

The EU report said Turkey's Council of State had issued decrees strengthening Christian broadcasting and equal treatment for mosques and churches, while 341 property registration requests had been accepted from religious groups under a 2003 regulation.

However, Protestants and Roman Catholics were still barred from setting up foundations, while non-Muslim communities had been subject to "violent or threatening harassment", it stated.

© 1994 - 2006 Ecumenical News International.

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