Turkish government ‘firm’ on solving woes of minorities

Turkey has taken several steps to ensure the rights of the country’s non-Muslim religious minorities after decades of official neglect and mistrust, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said, adding that the government was determined to solve minorities’ problems, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Our goal is to guarantee that the rule of law is applied equally for all Turkish citizens, regardless of individuals’ religion, ethnicity, or language,” Arınç said in a recent article to the “Project Syndicate” website.

“We are determined to solve minorities’ remaining problems, and we believe that we can do so through mutual trust and cooperation,” he said.

“Turkey’s religious minorities include Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Assyrian, Chaldean, and other Christian denominations, as well as Jews, all of whom are integral parts of Turkish society. As part of the Turkish government’s new initiative to end any sort of discrimination against these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gül has emphasized that message by receiving Bartholemew, the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Istanbul, and by visiting a church and a synagogue in Hatay – a first by a Turkish president,” he said.