Ankara, Turkey - Turkey has made little progress on ensuring cultural diversity and promoting respect for and protection of minorities in accordance with international standards, the European Union said in the progress report urging Ankara to take concrete and constructive steps in the issue. In the draft report obtained by The New Anatolian, freedom of religion, minority rights and their protection is the main areas of concern.
On the issue of freedom of religion, according to the progress report, although freedom of worship continues to be generally respected, no progress was reported with regard to difficulties encountered by non-Muslim religious communities.
Stressing that restrictions on the training of clergy and on foreign clergy to work in Turkey remain, the reports said, "Turkish legislation does not provide private higher religious education for these communities," and therefore urged the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki (Heybeliada) seminary and the recognition of the "ecumenical" status of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch.
There have been no developments made in relation to the situation of the Alevis and they face difficulties for opening their places of worship (Cem houses), it was said in the report, urging Ankara to recognize Cem houses and give funding for them. Furthermore, the Union also criticized the compulsory religious instruction given to Alevi children in schools.
Another area of concern stated in the progress report is that although the mandatory indication of religious affiliation in some personal documents such as ID-cards was abolished in April 2006, such documents still include information on religion, which according to the EU leaves open the potential of discriminatory practices.
Furthermore on freedom of religion, Brussels called on Turkey to give access to legal personality to non-Muslin religious minorities and abolish their restricted property rights.