A U.S. State Department report said Turkey generally protects religious freedom but there are some laws, policies, and constitutional provisions that restrict religious freedom, according to Today’s Zaman.
International Religious Freedom Report released by the U.S. State Department on Monday, May 20, said there were reports of abuses of religious freedom, including the imprisonment of at least one conscientious objector for his religious beliefs. It said the trend in the government’s respect for religious freedom did not change significantly during the year of 2012.
The report said the Turkish constitution, written by military junta in early 1980s, defines the country as a secular state and provides for freedom of belief, worship, and the private expression of religious ideas. The constitution prohibits discrimination on religious grounds.
Despite these provisions, the report noted, the government provides favorable and prejudicial treatment to Sunni Islamic groups. The report stated that the Turkish government donates land for the construction of mosques and in many cases funds their construction through the Diyanet or municipalities. Municipalities pay the utility bills for mosques located within their boundaries. These benefits are uniquely available to Sunni Muslims. The Diyanet Foundation, a quasi-governmental entity, owns many of the mosques around the country.
In general, the report said, members of religious groups that had formal recognition during the Ottoman period, including the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Armenian Protestant, and Jewish communities, said they had freedom to practice their faiths.
The report noted that the Turkish government continued to return or provide compensation for property confiscated from religious community foundations in previous decades. The government did not clarify the legal authority under which the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary could reopen after being closed for more than 40 years.
