The Turkish constitution provides for freedom of belief, worship and the private expression of religious ideas, while prohibiting discrimination on religious grounds. Although officially a secular state, Turkey is caught between its secular and Islamic identities. In recent years, Turkey has taken some positive steps to address the concerns of religious minorities and to uphold freedom of religion or belief. However, problems remain in the areas of identity cards, education, and registration of church buildings. There are occasional violent attacks and daily discrimination towards Alevi Muslims and Christians particularly those who have converted from Islam. Six years after three Christian missionaries were killed in Malatya, a decision on the case remains outstanding.
State of freedom of religion or belief
In recent years the Turkish government has taken steps to address some of the difficulties faced by religious minorities, with legislation on issues such as identity cards and the return of confiscated religious property. In 2012, Christians were invited to contribute to the ongoing constitution-making process. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Bartholomew, gave an historic speech to the Turkish Parliament in which he said that a “new Turkey is being born”. Moreover, 2012 saw a non-Muslim member being included in the Foundations Council (the country’s highest authority on religious foundations) for the first time.
Despite this, there remains a divide between what is being said by the authorities and what is being done, particularly at the local level. Despite promises in a 2011 decree to return confiscated property to Christians – some of which have been returned - the Hailki Seminary, which was confiscated in 1971, is yet to be returned. Christians continue to face problems when registering churches, and are often forced to meet in each other’s homes, or ‘house churches’. Although congregations can gather in public buildings, they are referred to as ‘associations’ and not churches. This can be problematic, since associations can be shut down at any given moment because they do not have official legal status, causing much uncertainty for church gatherings. Due to legal constraints, church leaders are unable to undertake theological training in Turkey, forcing them to travel abroad to receive it.
Christians - particularly those from Muslim backgrounds - as well as Alevi Muslims and Baha’is, are subject to intimidation and occasional violence, as well as societal discrimination. Attacks include physical assault and vandalism of religious property. Identity cards remain a problematic issue for religious minorities. The process for a Christian convert from Islam to change their religious designation is fairly easy, although some have experienced excessive questioning, delays and ridicule from officials dealing with their applications. The Baha’i, Alevi and Yazidi communities are unable to state their religious affiliation on identity cards, with the only option being to leave the section blank. Given the ensuing discrimination faced by religious minorities, particularly in areas such as employment and education, campaigners have called for the religion section in identity cards to be removed. In 2010, the European Court ruled that the presence of religious affiliation in identity cards violated the European Convention of Human Rights. Despite the government stating its intentions to remove this, it remains a requirement.
Freedom of religion or belief in 2013
In January 2013: Police uncovered a plot to assassinate a Christian pastor by a group who had infiltrated his church. This plot had been planned for months, and bore a resemblance to the 2007 Malatya murders.
8 March 2013: The Lead Counsel for the victims of the Malatya Murders received death threats from one of the defendants.
15 April 2013: A Turkish court convicted a top Turkish pianist and composer of denigrating religion through comments he made on Twitter and handed down a 10-month suspended prison sentence.
28 May 2013: What began as protests against the development of a shopping complex in Gezi Park evolved into a protest against the government’s authoritarianism and restrictions on freedom of expression. Five people were killed with thousands more injured following police brutality.
June/July 2013: Turkey’s crackdown on journalists and freedom of speech has taken a turn for the worse over 2013. Following articles criticising the government’s response to peaceful protests, including police brutality, dozens of journalists were either dismissed from their jobs or forced to resign. Some resigned voluntarily. In its 2013 Press Index Reporters without Borders listed Turkey as 154 out of 179 countries, and describes the nation as the “world’s biggest prison for journalists, especially those who express views critical of the authorities on the Kurdish issue”.
Malatya murders
In April 2007, Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske, employees of Zirve Christian publishing house, were tortured and then murdered. All three were members of the Malatya Kurtulus Church. Two of the men were Turkish converts from Islam and the third a German national.
Six years on since the Malatya murders in 2007, justice is yet to be served for the victims and their families. The trial of the five men accused of the murders began on 22 November 2007 at the Third Criminal Court in Malatya; however, it has been prolonged due to the prosecutors’ desire to prove the killings were part of a plot to undermine the government through acts of terror. In September 2012, and just two days before the next phase of the trial, two judges and two prosecutors were removed by the Turkish Justice Ministry, leaving just one judge familiar with the case.
Even though such violence is now rare, growing social pressures continue to make life difficult for Christians and other religious minorities in Turkey.
Education
The 2011-2012 academic year saw the introduction of new official textbooks in religion classes, known as ‘Religious Culture and Knowledge of Ethics’ (RCKE) classes, in all Turkish schools. For the first time these books included teaching, not just of the Sunni tradition of Islam, but of Alevi and Caferi traditions also, both of which are widely adhered to in Turkey. However, the fundamental issues have not been resolved, namely, that religion classes remain compulsory, the function of the subject is not clarified, exemptions remain limited and require parents to declare their religious or philosophical views, and there remains a risk that exempted children may suffer bullying from other children and receive lower grades from teachers in other subjects.
Religion classes remain a problem for converts to Christianity. If they wish to be exempted from these classes, they are required to prove they are non-Muslim by submitting their identity cards. However, at the local level, this is not being implemented, despite parents providing the necessary documentation. While the process for converts to change their identities from Muslim to Christian is now relatively easy, some parents prefer not to do so, fearing the possibility of social exclusion or discrimination.
CSW’s work in Turkey
CSW has been involved in high-level advocacy at the EU, UN and British Parliament, raising the issues of those being oppressed on account of their faith. Our advocacy work is supplemented by country briefings, articles and press releases. CSW often conducts fact-finding and advocacy assignments to Turkey, which are valuable in ensuring we keep up-to-date with our information, establish new contacts and affirm existing relationships. We have submitted timely briefings to parliamentarians and issued press releases on relevant human rights issues as they develop.
Timeline of key dates
1915: Ottoman genocide of Armenians
1923: The Republic of Turkey is born with Kemal Ataturk as its first president
1928: Turkey becomes a secular country, removing Islam as official religion from constitution
2002: Islamic-based Justice and Development Party (AK) gains power
2004 Innocent Christian Soner Onder released from prison after serving twelve and a half years for terrorism offences
2006 Father Antonio Santoro shot dead from behind while kneeling in prayer in Santa Maria Church in Trabzon, where he served
2007: Malatya murders and assassination of Hrant Dink, editor, journalist, human rights activist and prominent member of the Armenian ethnic minority
2010 Catholic Bishop Luigi Padovese, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia and President of the Turkish Bishops’ Conference stabbed to death by his driver
2013 World-renowned concert pianist Fazil Say was sentenced to ten months imprisonment for “insulting the religious values of a part of the population” on Twitter
Fast-facts
- Population: 75 million
- Official language: Turkish
- Official religion: 99% Muslim (mostly Sunni)
- Christianity: 80,000 (approx)
- Turkey is officially a secular state