Reform package to expand rights of minorities in Turkey
The government is preparing a reform package that will expand freedoms and end restrictions on identity-related issues, sources from the Prime Ministry have said. Accordingly, the new reform package to be introduced by the end of February will address issues related to cultural rights of the Kurdish population, minorities and some religious groups.
The sources say that state-owned Turkish Airlines will start announcements in Kurdish in addition to the usual Turkish and English announcements during flights to Kurdish-populated cities in the southeastern. The previous Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments in recent years introduced legal amendments that allow oral political material in languages other than Turkish, optional Kurdish language classes in schools and Kurdish language TV channels. As the continuation of these reforms, place names that changed in the early years of the Republic of Turkey will go back to their Kurdish originals and the process will be sped up. Bilingual road signs in Turkish and Kurdish will also be introduced in the southeast.
Introducing regular church services at the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Van Lake's Akdamar Island is also part of the reform package. The famous 10th century Armenian church was restored between 2005 and 2007 and was reopened to occasional prayers in 2010 after a hiatus of nearly 100 years. De-bureaucratizing the process of returning state-confiscated real estate properties to minority foundations will be addressed in the reform package. In 2011 the AK Party government signed a historic decree to return property the state had taken away from minority foundations in a 1936 proclamation, and so far 1,000 properties belonging to minority community foundations, including schools, churches, stores, houses and even nightclubs have been returned.
In addition, the new reforms will also include significant steps to address the long-standing concerns of the Alevi population. The common claim made by a variety of groups in the Alevi community is that they seek public recognition of Alevi identity and institutions as well as the acknowledgement of grievances caused by the Turkish state.
The sources say that state-owned Turkish Airlines will start announcements in Kurdish in addition to the usual Turkish and English announcements during flights to Kurdish-populated cities in the southeastern. The previous Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments in recent years introduced legal amendments that allow oral political material in languages other than Turkish, optional Kurdish language classes in schools and Kurdish language TV channels. As the continuation of these reforms, place names that changed in the early years of the Republic of Turkey will go back to their Kurdish originals and the process will be sped up. Bilingual road signs in Turkish and Kurdish will also be introduced in the southeast.
Introducing regular church services at the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Van Lake's Akdamar Island is also part of the reform package. The famous 10th century Armenian church was restored between 2005 and 2007 and was reopened to occasional prayers in 2010 after a hiatus of nearly 100 years. De-bureaucratizing the process of returning state-confiscated real estate properties to minority foundations will be addressed in the reform package. In 2011 the AK Party government signed a historic decree to return property the state had taken away from minority foundations in a 1936 proclamation, and so far 1,000 properties belonging to minority community foundations, including schools, churches, stores, houses and even nightclubs have been returned.
In addition, the new reforms will also include significant steps to address the long-standing concerns of the Alevi population. The common claim made by a variety of groups in the Alevi community is that they seek public recognition of Alevi identity and institutions as well as the acknowledgement of grievances caused by the Turkish state.
Last Update: January 18, 2016 20:22