Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 8 2009

Non-Muslim communities hope for concrete steps from gov’t

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s meeting with representatives of
non-Muslim communities in Turkey in August raised hopes that
minorities would eventually obtain the same rights and freedoms as the
population at large, but the government’s failure to take concrete
steps on this issue has led to disappointment among minority groups.

On Aug. 15 ErdoÄ?an, accompanied by a delegation of five ministers
along with senior officials, paid a visit to the Ä°stanbul island of
Büyükada — which has a high minority population — to meet with
representatives of non-Muslim communities. During the meeting, the
prime minister promised them increased democratic rights and discussed
the problems they faced, which caused people to expect the government
to begin working to solve their problems. The visit to Büyükada came
after the announcement that the government had started its democratic
initiative, which aims to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the
country’s Kurdish problem by granting more rights and freedoms to
Turkey’s Kurdish citizens.
`The purpose of organizing these kinds of meetings is to prepare the
public psychologically for a major change. The government knows the
problems faced by minority groups well and has the authority and the
political power to undertake reforms which will offer more freedom to
minorities. That the government has good intentions was the message
they tried to send with this meeting,’ said Etyen Mahçupyan, director
of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation’s (TESEV)
democratization program, speaking to Sunday’s Zaman. Mahçupyan also
stated that holding a meeting on its own means nothing, mutual
confidence should first be established and later concrete steps ought
to be taken to solve the problems discussed.

Noting the most important problems of minority groups in Turkey,
Mahçupyan, who is a member of Turkey’s Armenian community, underlined
that the controversy over assets belonging to Turkey’s non-Muslim
foundations constitutes these communities’ main issue of concern. He
believes consensus must be reached between the foundations and the
state with regards to compensating them or returning assets to their
original owners.

>From 1921 to 1974, foundations founded by non-Muslim communities were
allowed to have assets in Turkey; however, after a new law was passed
in 1974, minority groups were no longer permitted to own immovable
property.

Complaining about growing anti-Semitism in Turkey, particularly in the
media, which is becoming more apparent, Ä°vo Molinas, editor-in-chief
of the Å?alom newspaper, a daily published by Turkey’s Jewish
community, strongly suggested a change in the law to enable the
punishment of anti-Semitism. `We need anti-discrimination laws
regarding this issue,’ Molinas said, drawing attention to laws against
racial discrimination in the West. He also said: `Today, anti-Semitic
acts and articles that would certainly be penalized in the West cannot
be investigated or punished under the Turkish Penal Code [TCK]. This
is our affliction,’ he said. He expressed concerns that anti-Semitic
movements have gained more ground in recent years.

Sevan Balcı, a member of Turkey’s Armenian community, praised the
efforts of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government to create better conditions for non-Muslim communities and
compared the AK Party period with the previous eras. `The Armenians in
Turkey are currently living the best period of the past 100 years. At
least the issue of the Armenian genocide can now find a platform for
discussion in Turkey. We can fix our churches; in the past, we were
not even allowed to drive a nail into their walls. The land-seizing
incidents decreased in last decade. These are all very good
developments,’ he said.

Touching upon the problems they have faced, Balcı pointed to the lack
of political representation for the Armenian community, saying: `For
example, in Germany Cem Ã-zdemir can be a politician and the co-chair
of the Green Party. In contrast, a Turkish citizen of Armenian ethnic
origin cannot experience such a progression in his political career.’
He also underlined the obstacles a member of a religious minority
faces when trying to find a job in a state institution, noting that if
Turkey’s Armenian were to be treated as equal citizens of the Turkish
Republic, it would greatly help them in overcoming the depressing
situation that has prevailed in Turkey mainly due to the discussion
over the genocide claims.

08 November 2009, Sunday
MÄ°NHAÃ? Ã?ELÄ°K Ä°STANBUL