Treatment of Minorities in Turkey Essay -- Equality Justice Essays

Treatment of Minorities in TurkeyProblems with format Turkey, a relatively new nation, is not new to internal conflict and the oppression of minorities. Wedged between Europe and the Middle East, the area occupied by Turkey has long served as a crossroads between these areas, and, as a result, Turkeys majority Islamic Arab populace is smattered with significant pockets of minorities. These religious and ethnic minorities have been the source of much controversy in Turkey, but now change appears to be on the horizon. As Turkey seeks the approval of the European Union, it has begun to implement impressive humanitarian unsnarls that should drastically improve the vow of the minorities that call the nation home.Undoing a Bitter History of HateTurkey has been under the control of a self-pronounced secular administration for decades, and, ironically, progressive reform has only now become a reality as the Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) has assumed control of the government.i Thus far, the military constitution and existing political bureaucracy have been resistant to the AKP?s efforts to fully incorporate minority groups into mainstream society. Pointing to previous minority insurrections, military leaders are alarming that the new provisions will only serve to weaken the governments authority over the minority groups and to promote another wave of minority uprisings.ii? But, the possibility of rank to the European Union (EU) in 2004? has provided the AKP with adequate incentive to move forward with the reforms. EU membership does not currently include any majority Muslim nations. If Turkey were to be admitted next year, it would be first of its kind to do so. Therefore, Turkish officials hav... ...to Istanbul after synagogue blast,? The Independent (London), sec. News, November 17, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 12, 2003, p.4.xviii ibid, p.4.xix ibid, p.4.xx ibid, p.4.xxi Fiachra Gibbons, ?Comment & Analysis The onslaught on Istanbul Jews is an attack on hope itself The synagogue bombing threatens 1,300 years of tolerance,? The Guardian, November 17, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 19, 2003, p.20. xxii Geir Moulson, ?Erdogan challenges EU to admit Turkey, drop ?Christian club? image,? Associated Press Worldstream, sec. outside(a) News, September 3, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 19, 2003.xxiii ?At Last, Turkish Kurds,? p.14.xxiv ?Turkey still represses Kurds, despite EU-oriented reforms rights group,? Agence France Presse, sec. International News, July 30, 2003, LexisNexis Academic, December 12, 2003.