28.03.2007 - Source: Armenialiberty

Foreign Minister Gul calls for commission of Turkish and Armenian historians to examine mass killings and deportations of Armenians between 1915 and 1918; still he denies massacres were genocide, describes them as "tragedy" ("Turkey Insists On Joint Study Of ‘Armenian Tragedy’") [ID 19667]

Document(s): Open document

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Language rights and recognized minorities (Greek minority teachers restricted in schools where they can teach; training of Armenian language teachers very limited) ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18448]

"Non-Muslim religious minorities have encountered problems in applying the principles of article 40 of the Lausanne Treaty regarding language education, which states that non-Muslim minorities should have the “equal right to establish, manage and control at their own expense […] any schools and other establishments for instruction and education, with the rights to use their own language.”

In reality, however, the proper functioning of minority schools is hindered in several ways. Firstly, minorities still encounter problems obtaining teaching materials or in getting those teaching materials approved. Secondly, minorities are suffering from state restrictions on minority teachers.

Thus, for example, Greek minority teachers are restricted in the schools where they can teach and must be of Turkish citizenship. Similarly, the training of Armenian language teachers is very limited possibly pending acceptance by the Turkish authorities of an Armenian department within an Istanbul university for the study of the Armenian language."

Document(s): Report
Press Release

17.05.2006 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Trial of Hrant Dink, managing editor of the weekly Agos, suspended because of violent disruption by militant nationalists; Dink, who is an ethnic Armenian, charged on having attempted “to influence justice” by questioning the operation of the justice system ("The trial of Hrant Dink adjourned for security reasons") [ID 15754]

Document(s): Open document

16.05.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Trial started against ethnic Armenian writer Hrant Dink for "attempting to influence the judiciary"; his newspaper had criticised law that punishes "insults to Turkishness" ("Ethnic Armenian Journalist's Trial Begins In Turkey") [ID 15749]

Document(s): Open document

02.05.2006 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Berufungsgericht hebt Gerichtsentscheid auf, wonach armenischer Journalist 6-monatige Haftstrafe für "Verletzung der türkischen Identität" verbüßen sollte ("Court cancels suspension of sentence in Hrant Dink case") [ID 15624]

Document(s): Dokument

01.05.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Appeal court overturned conviction of ethnic Armenian journalists due to procedural errors; Hrant Dink had been sentenced for "insulting Turkish identity" ("Turkish Court Overturns Ethnic Armenian's Conviction") [#50480],  [ID 15611]

Document(s): Open document

10.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Situation of the Armenian minority ("Country Report - October 2005") [#40563],  [ID 13789]

"6.291 The World Directory of Minorities (1997) reports that “Although the State respects their minority status, they are regarded as foreigners by most Turks even though they have inhabited the land of modern Turkey for well over 2,000 years, substantially longer than the Turks. Armenians still find it hard to register their children as Armenian. However, the community successfully operates its own schools, old peoples’ homes and its own press.” [57a] (p380)

6.292 The European Commission 2005 report recorded that “The training of Armenian language teachers is still not possible pending acceptance by the Turkish authorities of an Armenian department within an Istanbul university for the study of the Armenian language.” [71e] (p37)"

Document(s): Open document