WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4191/97 by Rijk van DAM , Bartho PRONK to the Commission. The situation of Christian minorities in Turkey
Date: 1998-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, PRONK, VAN DAM
Subjects: Christianity, EU relations, Orthodoxy, Türkiye, democratisation, denominational education, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, religious discrimination, religious group













EUR-Lex - 91997E4191 - EN






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91997E4191

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4191/97 by Rijk van DAM , Bartho PRONK to the Commission. The situation of Christian minorities in Turkey  


Official Journal C 323 , 21/10/1998 P. 0011 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-4191/97 by Rijk van Dam (I-EDN) and Bartho Pronk (PPE) to the Commission (21 January 1998)Subject: The situation of Christian minorities in TurkeyThe organization 'Jubilee Campaign' reports that the Turkish Government has decided to restrict the activities of the Syrian Orthodox churches and three Syrian Orthodox religious communities in Tur Abdin. The communities concerned are Deyr-ul-Zafaran, Mor Gabriel and Mar Yakub of Salah. The monks and nuns currently living in them are being permitted to remain, but in a letter dated 6 October the Turkish Government prohibited them from giving instruction in the Syrian language, giving religious instruction, erecting new buildings or repairing existing ones, or receiving visitors or tourists.These reports correspond to previous reports about the problems of religious minorities in South-Eastern Turkey. Attention has already been drawn to these in written questions E-3660/95 ((OJ C 112, 17.4.1996, p. 57. )) and E-1424/96 ((OJ C 356, 25.11.1996, p. 38. )).1. Can the Commission confirm the reports about the Syrian Orthodox churches in Turkey, and is it aware of the difficult conditions faced by Christian minorities?2. Does the Commission agree that this action by the Turkish Government contravenes Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the provisions of the customs agreement between the EU and Turkey?3. Will the Commission urge the Turkish authorities to lift the restrictions on the Syrian Orthodox churches, convents and monasteries?Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (4 February 1998)Information obtained by the Commission is to the effect that the Turkish Minister of the Interior was recently questioned by a Turkish Member of Parliament about the issue raised by the Honourable Members. In his answer (31 December 1997) the Minister stated that the Government was in no way minded to forbid religious teaching by the Syrian orthodox community, either to intervene or restrict its freedom of worship.Whenever it is in contact with the Turkish authorities the Commission stresses the importance of improving the human rights situation and continuing the process of democratisation in Turkey.It was pointed out at the European Council in Luxembourg in December 1997 that the strengthening of Turkey's links with the Union also depends on its pushing ahead with the political and economic reforms which it has initiated, notably the alignment of standards and practices in the field of human rights on those prevailing in the Union. The European Council also pointed out that a strengthening of Turkey's links with the Union also required respect for and protection of minorities.