Reopening of Theological School of Halki
United Nations' Committee calls on Turkey to reopen Theological School
of Halki
3/18/2009 - The United Nations' Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (CERD) has called on Turkey to reopen the Greek Orthodox
Theological Seminary on the island of Halki, to return confiscated
properties and to promptly execute all judgments by the European Court
of Human Rights relating to it.
"The Committee invited
various ethnic groups in the Parliament and other elected bodies, as
well as their participation in public bodies. It recommended that
research be conducted with a view to effectively assessing and
evaluating the incidence of racial discrimination in Turkey, with
particular focus on discrimination based on national or ethnic origin,
and that Turkey take targeted measures to eliminate such
discrimination," a press release by the Committee in Geneva said on
Tuesday.
The Committee noted its concern "at the particularly serious situation
of the Greek minority" and called upon Turkey "to redress such
discrimination and to urgently take the necessary measures to reopen the
Greek Orthodox theological seminary in the island of Heybeliada (Halki),
to return confiscated properties and to promptly execute all relevant
judgments by the European Court of Human Rights in that respect."
Pointing out that no country was entirely free from racial
discrimination, the Committee also urged Turkey "to investigate why
there had been no complaints of discrimination and recommended that it
verify that the lack of such complaints was not the result of lack of
effective remedies, victims' lack of awareness of their rights, fear of
reprisals, or lack of confidence in the police and judicial authorities,
among others," a CERD press release added.
The Committee also "regretted the absence of a definition of racial
discrimination in domestic law, which might impede the adequate
application of relevant legislation. It was noted that some groups, such
as the Roma and the Kurds, faced a more difficult socio-economic
situation than the rest of the population.
The Committee was concerned that the application of restrictive criteria
to determine the existence of ethnic groups (by following criteria
established in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne), official recognition of
some and refusal to recognize others, might give rise to differing
treatment for various ethnic and other groups which might, in turn, lead
to de facto discrimination.
It was further concerned by allegations of persisting hostile attitudes
on the part of the general public, including attacks and threats,
towards Roma, Kurds and persons belonging to non- Muslim minorities.
Another concern was that
to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967
Protocol, which reduced the protection, offered to refugees from
non-European States and might subject them to discrimination.
In that connection, the Committee was also concerned at reports on
deportation and refoulement (repatriation to danger zone) of refugees
recognized under UNHCR's mandate, as well as of persons registered with
UNHCR as asylum-seekers.
A remaining concern was that there were inadequate possibilities for
children belonging to ethnic groups to learn their mother tongue," it
also said.
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