USA Turkish Times - U.S. commission finds obstacles to religious freedom in Turkey

U.S. commission finds obstacles to religious freedom in Turkey

A congressionally funded commission says the majority Muslim community in Turkey as well as the faithful in minority religions do not have full freedom to practice their religious beliefs.

The report was prepared by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises the U.S. government on ways to advance freedom of worship around the world.

A commission delegation traveled to Istanbul and Ankara in November and looked into broader issues of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and civil liberties within Turkey, as well as related questions of Turkey's model of secularism.

According to the report, the commission was informed during its travels about:

-Restraints on Muslim's ability to manifest their religious beliefs in public places;

-State actions that effectively prevent religious minority communities from maintaining themselves, denying them full property rights, including the right to own and maintain property, and to train clergy.

-Incidents of anti-minority violence, especially against Greek Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, as well as growing anti-Semitism in some sectors of the country.

The report noted that Muslim's are "prohibited from wearing certain kinds of religious garb in state institutions, including government offices, the parliament, judicial buildings and both public and private universities."

In addition, it said, religious minority communities, despite the rights their members do enjoy, are not recognized as legal entities in Turkey, which results in "serious difficulties for these groups and endless legal wrangling over property rights and the ability to train clergy and select leaders for future generations."

Although some of these concerns have been addressed through demands of the European Union before Turkey can become a member, many are still to be resolved, the report said.

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