Armenpress
ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF TURKEY SAYS ANKARA CONTINUES
DISCRIMINATORY POLICY AGAINST NON-MUSLIMS
ISTANBUL, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS: In an interview to
a Turkish daily Hurriyet the Armenian Patriarch of
Turkey and Istanbul, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian, said
the government of Turkey continued the discriminatory
policy against its non-Muslim national minorities.
As an example he cited a government decision that
exempts donations to Muslim foundation from taxes and
imposes huge taxes on donations to Christian and other
religious foundations. He said also the government
pays for electricity consumed by mosques, while this
privilege does not apply to Christian churches, though
Christians, like Muslims are also citizens of Turkey
and pay taxes.
Mutafian cited another example, saying the
government pays for accommodation of Muslim pilgrims
when they visit holly Islam sites. which is not the
case with Christians and Jews when they make
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. “All these manifestations of
discrimination make Christians feel humiliated,” the
Armenian Patriarch said, adding also that the
government has not responded to the Armenian
Patriarchate’s request to open a theological
department at an Istanbul University for Christian
Armenian students.