Alevi | Alevite

Christian faith

Religion of Japan, China AND/OR Persia

International Association for the History of Religions [ IAHR | International Association for the Study of History of Religions | Standing Commission for International Congresses on the History of Religions ]

Internet religion | online religion | cyber religion | e-religion

right not to have a religion | right not to profess any religion or belief

religion | religious knowledge

The problem in Turkey is that Sunni Kurds or Turks have a hard time getting married to Alevi Turks and Kurds.

26. Commends the decision by the Assembly of Foundations to return the lands of the historic Mor Gabriel Monastery to the Syriac community in Turkey, in compliance with the pledge made by the government in the democratisation package; stresses the importance of continuing to provide an appropriate legal framework for the restoration of the property rights of all religious communities; stresses the importance of continuing the process of reform in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality, by eliminating all restrictions on the training, appointment and successi ...[+++]on of clergy, by complying with the relevant judgments of the ECtHR and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and by eliminating all forms of discrimination or barriers based on religion; calls on the Government of Turkey to consider the request by the Alevi community to recognise the Cemevis as places of worship in their own right; underlines the importance of lifting all obstacles to a speedy reopening of the Halki Seminary and to public use of the ecclesiastical title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; calls on the Yargitay court to reverse its decision converting the historic Hagia Sophia Church in Trabzon as a mosque and push for its immediate re-opening as a museum.

34. Welcomes the continued implementation of legislation amending the 2008 law on foundations and broadening the scope of the restoration of the property rights of non–Muslim communities; calls on the relevant authorities to assist the Syriac community in resolving the difficulties they face in dealing with property and land registration matters; calls for a solution for the large number of properties of the Latin Catholic Church that remain confiscated by the state; notes that progress has been particularly slow in extending the rights of the Alevi minority; recalls the urgent need to continue vital and substantial reform in the area of freedom of thought, conscience and religion ...[+++], in particular by enabling religious communities to obtain legal personality, by eliminating all restrictions on the training, appointment and succession of clergy, by recognising Alevi places of worships and by complying with the relevant judgments of the ECtHR and the recommendations of the Venice Commission; calls on Turkey to ensure that the Saint Gabriel Monastery is not deprived of its lands and that it is protected in its entirety; believes that a broader composition of the Directorate General for Religious Affairs, so as to include representatives of religious minorities, would prove beneficial, as it would promote an inclusive concept of society; calls on Turkey to remove the reference to religion from national identity cards and to guarantee that religious education respects the religious diversity and plurality of Turkish society;

17. Reiterates that a legal framework developed in line with ECtHR case-law is still needed so as to enable all religious communities to function without undue constraints, in particular as regards their legal status, training of clergy, election of their hierarchy, religious education and the construction of places of worship; encourages Turkish authorities, all political parties, civil society and the communities concerned to engage in creating an environment conducive to full respect for freedom of religion in practice; reiterates its call for the immediate re-opening of the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary and the public use of the ec ...[+++]clesiastical title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; welcomes the recent initiatives by the government and its ongoing talks between the government and Alevi leaders on long-standing issues, such as Alevi places of worship and the setting-up of a memorial commemorating the Sivas massacre, and calls on the Turkish government to address their concerns without delay and to make state-run courses on religion non-compulsory; regrets the planned expropriation of the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of St Gabriel in Tur Abdin and the court procedures against representatives of the monastery;