Minorities

In the aftermath of the Republic foundation, the status of non-Muslim population within the territorial boundaries of Turkey, was defined by the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which recognized only three minorities: Greek Orthodox (?Rum?), Armenians and Jews; while, smaller communities, like Syriacs, were endowed with the right to use their own  language (Oran, 2003:33-62).  This definition excluded several Muslim and non-Muslim groups, which live in Turkey but are not of Turkish ethnicity. In particular, among unrecognized minorities, there are non-Muslim groups, such as Assyrians, Protestants, Chaldeans, Georgian, and Maronite Christians. At the same time, the definition of minority cuts off Muslims of different ethnic origins, such as Kurds, Arabs, Laz, Muslim Georgian, and Roma; moreover, it leaves other religious minorities, such as Alevi communities, on the margins.

Ultimately, the status of minorities was still defined in terms of both ethnicity and religion. Non-Muslim minorities are recognized as ?citizens? (vatandaş) of Turkey, but not ?Turks? (Oran, 2003:58). Practically, this restricted legitimization implied a policy of assimilation and limited minorities? access to political and economical resources. Even in the cases of recognized minorities, there are frequent debates, which focus on the limited implementation of their rights, in particular those concerning four issues as language rights, education, acquisition of properties, religious/ cultural rights.

Concerning non-Muslim properties, the Declaration on non-Muslim Foundations (1936), stated that non-Muslim people had to submit a list of their properties, especially immovable goods, to the General Directorate for Foundations. Whenever it was not possible for members of minorities? communities to demonstrate the legitimate property?confirmed by the act of the vakıf (vakıfname) - the State could expropriate their goods, since non-Muslim foundations were not allowed to acquire immovable properties.[35]

This controversy was recently mitigated by the introduction of the Paragraph 4 of the EU Harmonization Package, which recognizes to minorities the possibility of acquiring immovable properties (Oran, 2003). Indeed, it is this debate which brought action to the implementation of minorities? rights, as requirement to access to EU that we could proceed to discuss the recent opening of museums dedicated to minority groups.

[35]As it is stated in the Paragraph 4 of the EU Harmonization Package: ?Religious community foundations, weather or not they possess a charter (vakıfname), may acquire real estate by the permission of the Cabinet of Ministers, in order to provide for their needs in religious, charitable, social, educational, sanitary and cultural needs.?