Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 2 2010

Religious minorities face no discrimination in Turkey, says head of
religious affairs

Saturday, January 2, 2010
ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

The head of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs said on Saturday
he did not believe that religious minorities living in Turkey faced
any problems regarding their religious services and practices or the
training and appointment of their religious leaders.

"However, if there are any problems, they should be solved," said Ali
BardakoÄ?lu, president of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, in an
exclusive interview with the Anatolia news agency.

BardakoÄ?lu also said that the issue of reopening the Halki seminary
should be solved within the context of freedom of religion.

Expressing his directorate’s support for religious freedoms,
BardakoÄ?lu said, "If we only respect those who think and believe like
us, we will turn life on earth to hell."

BardakoÄ?lu also said, everybody had the right to exercise the belief
they wanted.

"I think religious minorities in Turkey have always benefited from
these freedoms and nobody was treated contemptuously because of his or
her religion or believes," he said.

BardakoÄ?lu said that Christian and Jewish citizens living in Turkey
had equal rights; they carried out their religious practices and chose
their own religious leaders.

Muslims also had to struggle for their rights in many parts of the
world, such as the Balkans, Western Thrace and Georgia, he said.
BardakoÄ?lu said Muslims could not benefit from freedom of religion in
many regions and that such problems should be solved.