Treatment of Minorities in Turkey Essay -- Equality Justice Essays

Treatment of Minorities in TurkeyProblems with format Turkey, a relatively mod nation, is not new to internal conflict and the oppression of minorities. Wedged among Europe and the Middle East, the area occupied by Turkey has hanker 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 point of reference of much controversy in Turkey, but straightway change appears to be on the horizon. As Turkey seeks the approval of the European Union, it has begun to implement stately humanitarian reforms that should drastically improve the plight of the minorities that call the nation home. undo a Bitter History of HateTurkey has been under the project of a self-pronounced secular administration for decades, and, ironically, progressive reform has only now become a reality as the Islamic Justice and ripening Party (AKP) has assumed contro l of the government.i Thus far, the military establishment and alert political bureaucracy have been resistant to the AKP?s efforts to fully co-ordinated minority groups into mainstream society. Pointing to previous minority insurrections, military leaders are dreadful that the new provisions will only serve to weaken the governments role over the minority groups and to promote another wave of minority uprisings.ii? But, the surmisal of membership to the European Union (EU) in 2004? has provided the AKP with adequate incentive to behave forward with the reforms. EU membership does not currently include all majority Muslim nations. If Turkey were to be admitted next year, it would be depression 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, declination 12, 2003, p.4.xviii ibid, p.4.xix ibid, p.4.xx ibid, p.4.xxi Fiachra Gibbons, ?Comment & Analysis The attack on Istanbul Jews is an attack on desire 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, bury ?Christian club? image,? Associated Press Worldstream, sec. International 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.