WRITTEN QUESTION E-3032/03 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Denigration by Turkey of its ethnic minorities.
Date: 2003-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, crime against humanity, decree, education policy, human rights, political ideology, rights of minorities

C 88 E/128

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of concerns about the situation of the Greek minority on the Aegean island of
Imvros to which the Honourable Member refers. The Commission has recently received information
referring to violation of property rights on the island.

The Commission will examine this issue in the framework of its monitoring of Turkey’s respect of the
Copenhagen political criteria, which include the respect of human rights and the protection of minorities.
It will provide an overall assessment of the difficulties encountered by minorities in Turkey in its
forthcoming Regular Report, to be published on 5 November 2003.

(2004/C 88 E/0136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3032/03

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Denigration by Turkey of its ethnic minorities

Violations of human rights in Turkey are continuing. This is in spite of the fact that Turkey has adapted
some of its national legislation to take account of EU standards. One example of the continued denigration
of minorities is that the Turkish Education Ministry issued a decree on 14 April 2003 to all schools in the
country requiring essay competitions and lectures to be organised denying the genocide in and after 1914
against ethnic Armenians and Assyrians/Syrians, and accusing these ethnic groups of having been traitors
to the Ottoman Empire. Assyrian/Syrian and Armenian children are suffering discrimination on a daily
basis, specially by being forced to participate in these lectures which are an insult to their own ethnic and
religious identity.

The Turkish human rights organisation IHD has reacted sharply to the decree and has recently launched a
campaign together with human rights lawyers seeking to prevail upon the Turkish government to cancel
the decree and cease these violations. The Education Ministry’s decree of 14 April 2003 contrasts starkly
with the demands made on Turkey at the European Convention and elsewhere.

What measures does the Commission propose to take with a view to prevailing on the Turkish
government to abolish this decree and cease the insults to its ethnic and religious minorities?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of the Turkish Education Ministry circular of 14 April 2003 relating to the
requirement of schools to organise essay competitions and lectures denying ‘the Armenian, Greek Pontus
and Assyrian allegations’.

The Commission raised this matter with the Turkish authorities in the course of its regular dialogue. The
issue has been addressed in the Commission’s Regular Report, issued on 5 November 2003 (1).

More generally, the Commission is aware of the difficulties encountered by minorities throughout Turkey
and will continue to closely monitor their treatment.

(1) COM(2003) 676 final.