Turkish President Vetoes EU-Sought Religion Law

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

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS