Minority foundations in Turkey have not been able to hold elections for eight years

Photo: HDP

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Minority foundations in Turkey have not been able to elect their executives since early 2013 after the relevant regulation was annulled, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Garo Paylan has said.

Addressing a parliamentary question to Vice President Fuak Oktay, the MP said, "A new regulation for elections has not been published despite demands by minority communities, solution offers and many promises your government has given."

Most recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised new regulations on March 2, Paylan noted.

Some Armenians made requests to hold elections on October 3 but the General Directorate of Foundations rejected them, citing a circular it had published in 2019, said Paylan. According to the mentioned circular stipulates appointments to be made to replace deceased or resigned board members of the foundations, he added.

Saying that the minority communities were "frustrated" by the directorate's response, Paylan remarked, "By preventing the elections of minority communities for eight years, both minorities' right to hold elections are ignored and the foundations' effective management is prevented."

Turkey recognizes only Rums, Armenians and Jews as minorities as per the Treaty of Lausanne, which laid the foundations of the modern republic. (DŞ/VK)