Minorities Comment on Report on Minorities

Individuals from minority groups denounce attacks against the controversial Report on "Minority Rights and Cultural Rights” drafted by the Minority Rights and Cultural Rights Study Group of the Prime Ministry’s Advisory Board for Human Rights.

The group’s groundbreaking proposals challenging the present established concept of Turkish citizenry what excludes recognition of ethnic minorities other than non-Muslim religious minorities, arouses angry reactions by nationalist circles.

The group’s spokesperson Prof. Ibrahim Kabaoglu, and Prof. Baskin Oran, author of the draft report are publicly charged as “separatists” by their critics for having proposed recognition of various ethnic identities under the super-identity of “Citizen of Turkey” rather more than “Turkish Citizen”

Members of Turkey’s various ethnic communities expressed their opinions to bianet on the ongoing controversy.

Lawyer Diran Bakar, an ethnic Armenian from Istanbul, said their views on the Minority Report was generally positive but added they were disturbed by the fact that the report did not refer to the minority articles in the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

1924 Lausanne Peace Treaty signed between Turkey and the Allies of the 1st World War recognizes the rights of non-Turkish speaking “Trukish nationals” as well as non-Muslim religious communities.

Alavite researcher-writer Cemal Sener said the report should not be attacked so harshly no matter what. "I do not agree with everything in the report either," said Sener. "But there is no reason for attacking it like that."

Hrant Dink, editor in chief of the bi-lingual (Armenian-Turkish) Agos weekly said the report was not actually a "minority" report, but instead, a "Turkey" report. According to Dink, the report depicts an accurate picture of Turkey.

Cumhur Bal, the secretary-general of the Circassian Federation, said they voted for the Minority Report as members of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board.

"Articles of Lausanne should be implemented"

Lawyer Diran Bakar said the Report on Minorities should have referred to the articles of the Lausanne Agreement. Bakar added that although they did not individually have any complaints about their life in Turkey, the memories of past incidents, the incidents of September 6-7, 1957 were still fresh. Bakar complained that the institutions belonging to his community were still under pressure. They were still barred from ecclesiastic training, or from opening up schools or hospitals.

Sener: The report was not strongly defended

Alavite researcher-writer Cemal Sener is of the opinion that even Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Kabaloglu, the head of the commission, could not defend his own report properly against attacks. Sener said:

* Due to political implications of the concept “minority” the Alavites are uncomfortable of being categorized as a “minority”. In Turkey claiming minority status is almost regarded as opposing the secular republic. Yet, Alavites have always supported the secular republic as opposed to Sharia, caliphate, Ottoman monarchy and the like.

* The concept "minorities" is usually used to define non-Muslims. Alavites were not regarded as minorities during the Ottoman rule because they were Muslims. They could neither benefit from the majority rights, nor those of the minorities. The situation continued after the establishment of the Turkish Republic. There is no mention of a legitimate Alavite religion in any formal document. Alavites were first mentioned in the EU Progress Report and the Prime Ministry Human Rights Advisory Board's report. It is positive that it is being discussed, instead of being ignored."

"The essence of the report is the essence of Turkey"

Hrant Dink is of the opinion that those who drafted the Minority Report should be congratulated. Denouncing the ultra-nationalist member of the group who tore the report to protest its content during a press conference Dink said: “Maybe a copy of the report had been torn down. But the essence of the report is the essence of Turkey and the reality remains there.”

Dink continued as follows:

* The understanding of "minorities" in Turkey is different from the understanding of "minorities" in Western democracies.

* The concept "minority" in Turkey is moulded with security concerns. "This is an inferior notion, an inferior status, and so we cannot be minorities." However, there are minorities in this country even if they are regarded as inferior or second-class. And I am one of them.

* In the same way the state looks at non-Muslims as a security problem, but I feel insecure of my own future.

Cumhur Bal said they did not approve the behavior of the public workers union Kamu-Sen representative, who tore the report during the press conference. "This report was voted on and accepted. He may not agree with the report, but he doesn't have the right to act violently." (NS/BB/YE)