Saturday, January 29, 2011

Turkish President Gul Criticizes the Discrimination of Christians

"Every Turkish Citizen should have the same chances for employment and advancement regardless of their religion" -- The reporter's question:  Why has Turkey hindered the hiring of a Turk of Armenian descent?

Strassburg (kath.net/KAP) The Turkish President Abdullah Gul publicly denounced the discrimination of Christians by government authorities. That is a "shame", said Gul for visiting journalists during his visit in Strassburg, reported the paper "Milliyet" on Thursday.  Gul reacted following a suggestion by Reporters that the Turkish administrative courts had prevented the hiring of an Armenian of Turkish descent  from working for the authorities at the EU-Mission to Turkey.

Already upon the visit of Bundespresident Christian Wulff last October Gul has made it publicly known that he is also the president of non-Muslim Turks.  Now it's been reported that he's told journalists that, soon every Turkish citizen independently of his religious background will have the same chances for employment and advancement.  He didn't mention any particulars, however.

Members of non-Muslim minorities have long complained that the employment in government are closed to them.  In Turkey there are no high-ranking politicians, military or in the judiciary who don't belong to Muslim groups.  First on Wednesday minorities were encouraged to apply for posts at the Turkish foreign ministry .

Read further...original at kath.net...

Of course, some will remember the blistering attack leveled by the Austrian, Ewald Stadler in December last year:

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