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TURKISH AMBASSADOR STRONGLY REJECTS US REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS IN TURKEY
Anadolu Agency
March 21 2012
Turkey
WASHINGTON (AA) -March 21, 2012 -Turkey's ambassador in Washington
lashed out at suggestions in a report by a US commission on religious
freedoms, saying the report's comments over Turkey was politically
motivated.
"Any independent consideration would acknowledge that Turkey does not
belong to the place the commission designates for it. Listing Turkey
among 'countries of particular concern' is unjust and unexpected,"
Namik Tan told the Anadolu Agency.
US Commission on International Religious Freedoms, or USCIRF, in its
2011 report listed Turkey among "countries of particular concern,"
or CPCs, which also included countries such as North Korea, Eritrea,
Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and Vietnam.
Tan said Turkey had a made a major reform in 2011 to give religious
communities their properties back which he said was also lauded by
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, adding that Turkey was far
better than many of the countries on the CPC list.
"The US Department of State said in its latest annual report on
religious freedoms that the Turkish government had taken significant
steps to expand religious freedoms in the country. And now the USCIRF
includes Turkey on the CPC listed which I believe deals a major blow
to the credibility of the commission and raises questions that the
move was politically motivated," Tan said.
The USCIRF report criticized Turkey of "failing to legally recognize
religious minority communities, such as the Alevis, the Greek,
Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic and
Protestant Churches, and the Jewish community."
Anadolu Agency
March 21 2012
Turkey
WASHINGTON (AA) -March 21, 2012 -Turkey's ambassador in Washington
lashed out at suggestions in a report by a US commission on religious
freedoms, saying the report's comments over Turkey was politically
motivated.
"Any independent consideration would acknowledge that Turkey does not
belong to the place the commission designates for it. Listing Turkey
among 'countries of particular concern' is unjust and unexpected,"
Namik Tan told the Anadolu Agency.
US Commission on International Religious Freedoms, or USCIRF, in its
2011 report listed Turkey among "countries of particular concern,"
or CPCs, which also included countries such as North Korea, Eritrea,
Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and Vietnam.
Tan said Turkey had a made a major reform in 2011 to give religious
communities their properties back which he said was also lauded by
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, adding that Turkey was far
better than many of the countries on the CPC list.
"The US Department of State said in its latest annual report on
religious freedoms that the Turkish government had taken significant
steps to expand religious freedoms in the country. And now the USCIRF
includes Turkey on the CPC listed which I believe deals a major blow
to the credibility of the commission and raises questions that the
move was politically motivated," Tan said.
The USCIRF report criticized Turkey of "failing to legally recognize
religious minority communities, such as the Alevis, the Greek,
Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic and
Protestant Churches, and the Jewish community."