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Turkey has expressed disappointment over what it calls Greece's oppressive policies against the Turkish community in the country as Athens rehashed a controversial bill that would allow the central government to appoint imams to schools and mosques.
Ankara said in a statement on Friday it is deeply concerned and closely monitoring developments regarding the adoption of a controversial bill by the Greek parliament, despite the objection of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
The bill, first initiated in 2007, has failed to come into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill, which is popularly known as the imam law, was amended and brought to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday again. It was adopted with additional amendments on Thursday.
According to the bill, the Greek government will hire 240 imams (Muslim clerics) for the Turkish minority living in the northeast of the country, which would allow the Greek government to appoint imams to schools and mosques. However, the Turkish minority is skeptical as those religious leaders will be elected by a council composed of Greek government representatives. The minority strongly objects to this policy.
18 January 2013 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA,
Turkey has expressed disappointment over what it calls Greece's oppressive policies against the Turkish community in the country as Athens rehashed a controversial bill that would allow the central government to appoint imams to schools and mosques.
Ankara said in a statement on Friday it is deeply concerned and closely monitoring developments regarding the adoption of a controversial bill by the Greek parliament, despite the objection of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
The bill, first initiated in 2007, has failed to come into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill, which is popularly known as the imam law, was amended and brought to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday again. It was adopted with additional amendments on Thursday.
According to the bill, the Greek government will hire 240 imams (Muslim clerics) for the Turkish minority living in the northeast of the country, which would allow the Greek government to appoint imams to schools and mosques. However, the Turkish minority is skeptical as those religious leaders will be elected by a council composed of Greek government representatives. The minority strongly objects to this policy.
The bill, first initiated on Feb. 8, 2007, was not put into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill was amended and returned to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday.
The statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday stated that Turkey is unhappy that the bill has been brought back to the parliament's agenda, ignoring the demands of the Turkish minority. The statement noted that statements made by the Turkish deputies in parliament and their reasoning are being followed by Ankara.
The Democratic Left Party (DIMAR), the main opposition radical SYRIZA Party and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), has voted No on the controversial bill. Ahmet Hacıosman, the Turkish deputy from the PASOK party, and Ayhan Karayusuf and Hüseyin Zeybek from the SYRIZA opposed the bill.
Hacıosman earlier said the bill is not in the interest of the Turkish community and that there are other issues that should be resolved.
The center-right New Democracy Party, Socialist PASOK Party, which is a coalition party, the racist Golden Dawn and the extremist right-wing Independent Greeks voted for the adoption of the bill with some additional adjustments.
Along with matters about the elections of the imams, Law 3536/2007 is highly controversial and has been opposed by the minority on the grounds that it is contrary to Article 43 of the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, which protects the religious freedom of the Muslim Turkish minority.
Ankara recalled certain points in the Lausanne Treaty, which stipulates that the Turkish minority in Greece have a right to rule their religious and education institutions, adding that the European Convention on Human Rights also protects freedom of religion through performing and learning. Ankara also urged Athens to allow its minorities to freely practice their religion as required of a modern state in line with EU norms.
Despite all this, it is disappointing that Greece has ignored the legitimate demands of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace with its oppressive policies, the statement underlined.
Ankara hoped that the Greek parliament will reject the bill to compensate for its erroneous policies.
Meanwhile, the bill, which was proposed by the Ministry of Education, is believed to have been shelved after debates in parliament earlier this week. Had the bill been adopted, imams in the mosques of Western Thrace would have been appointed by a council comprising Christian and Greek members.
Ankara said in a statement on Friday it is deeply concerned and closely monitoring developments regarding the adoption of a controversial bill by the Greek parliament, despite the objection of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
The bill, first initiated in 2007, has failed to come into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill, which is popularly known as the imam law, was amended and brought to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday again. It was adopted with additional amendments on Thursday.
According to the bill, the Greek government will hire 240 imams (Muslim clerics) for the Turkish minority living in the northeast of the country, which would allow the Greek government to appoint imams to schools and mosques. However, the Turkish minority is skeptical as those religious leaders will be elected by a council composed of Greek government representatives. The minority strongly objects to this policy.
18 January 2013 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA,
Turkey has expressed disappointment over what it calls Greece's oppressive policies against the Turkish community in the country as Athens rehashed a controversial bill that would allow the central government to appoint imams to schools and mosques.
Ankara said in a statement on Friday it is deeply concerned and closely monitoring developments regarding the adoption of a controversial bill by the Greek parliament, despite the objection of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace.
The bill, first initiated in 2007, has failed to come into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill, which is popularly known as the imam law, was amended and brought to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday again. It was adopted with additional amendments on Thursday.
According to the bill, the Greek government will hire 240 imams (Muslim clerics) for the Turkish minority living in the northeast of the country, which would allow the Greek government to appoint imams to schools and mosques. However, the Turkish minority is skeptical as those religious leaders will be elected by a council composed of Greek government representatives. The minority strongly objects to this policy.
The bill, first initiated on Feb. 8, 2007, was not put into force due to strong resistance by the Turkish community in the region. The bill was amended and returned to the Greek parliament's agenda on Tuesday.
The statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday stated that Turkey is unhappy that the bill has been brought back to the parliament's agenda, ignoring the demands of the Turkish minority. The statement noted that statements made by the Turkish deputies in parliament and their reasoning are being followed by Ankara.
The Democratic Left Party (DIMAR), the main opposition radical SYRIZA Party and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), has voted No on the controversial bill. Ahmet Hacıosman, the Turkish deputy from the PASOK party, and Ayhan Karayusuf and Hüseyin Zeybek from the SYRIZA opposed the bill.
Hacıosman earlier said the bill is not in the interest of the Turkish community and that there are other issues that should be resolved.
The center-right New Democracy Party, Socialist PASOK Party, which is a coalition party, the racist Golden Dawn and the extremist right-wing Independent Greeks voted for the adoption of the bill with some additional adjustments.
Along with matters about the elections of the imams, Law 3536/2007 is highly controversial and has been opposed by the minority on the grounds that it is contrary to Article 43 of the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, which protects the religious freedom of the Muslim Turkish minority.
Ankara recalled certain points in the Lausanne Treaty, which stipulates that the Turkish minority in Greece have a right to rule their religious and education institutions, adding that the European Convention on Human Rights also protects freedom of religion through performing and learning. Ankara also urged Athens to allow its minorities to freely practice their religion as required of a modern state in line with EU norms.
Despite all this, it is disappointing that Greece has ignored the legitimate demands of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace with its oppressive policies, the statement underlined.
Ankara hoped that the Greek parliament will reject the bill to compensate for its erroneous policies.
Meanwhile, the bill, which was proposed by the Ministry of Education, is believed to have been shelved after debates in parliament earlier this week. Had the bill been adopted, imams in the mosques of Western Thrace would have been appointed by a council comprising Christian and Greek members.
