TURKISH PRESIDENT VETOES EU-SOUGHT RELIGION LAW

Reuters, UK
Nov 29 2006

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed an
EU-inspired law to improve the property rights of non-Muslims, the
president’s office said on Wednesday.

Sezer, a staunch secularist, sent the law back to parliament for nine
articles to be reviewed, the president’s office said.

The ruling came on the day the European Commission recommended
suspending some parts of Turkey’s accession talks because of its
failure to open its ports to EU member Cyprus.

The so-called foundations law, which fell short of European Union
expectations, affects Greek Orthodox, Syriac and Armenian communities,
and was approved after months of fierce debate in officially secular
but predominantly Muslim Turkey.

Nationalists were concerned the law would give non-Muslim minorities —
seen by some as foreign in the case of the Greek Orthodox Church —
more influence in Turkey.

Sezer, who is sometimes wary of EU-inspired reforms which he fears
could weaken the state or its secular structure, often vetoes
legislation, which the AK Party dominated parliament can overturn.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress