Religious diversity in Turkey spurned

"Turkey has long viewed its non-Muslim minorities with a certain ambivalence, defending freedom of worship while tightly regulating the affairs of religious institutions. Christians of Greek and Armenian descent, in particular, have said they are blocked from using, selling and renovating their churches' properties."

"Some legal constraints on religious foundations already have been relaxed over the last three years, although European and American human rights monitors, citing cases like the Panayia church, have reported that local officials have been reluctant to carry out the changes.

For many Turks, though, even a discussion of minorities raises fears of separatism. Some have argued that lifting government controls on religious institutions would undermine Turkey's secular foundations. And Turkey's president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, recently warned that drawing attention to Turkey's sectarian or cultural diversity harmed the state."

The Sun News | 11/21/2004 | Religious diversity in Turkey spurned