Human rights in Turkey
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Human rights in Turkey have long been an international issue and have gained importance recently, affecting the accession of Turkey to the European Union.
Gender equality
Turkey is a long way ahead of orthodox Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. However, it still discriminates against women to some extent, especially in the countryside, through the wide-spread practice and implicit state approval of polygamous marriages. There is no implicit or explicit approval in the Penal Code, however. No claims of marriage are recognized in courts unless a state-sanctioned marriage is proven to exist, which is only possible between two monogamous partners.
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) estimates that "One in ten women live in polygamous marriages" (PDF file).
Press freedom
According to the Reporters Without Borders report of 2004, Turkey was placed 114 out of 167 monitored countries, and the press in Turkey had a 'difficult situation'. It is notable that no other EU members or candidates have such a status.
Ethnic minorities
Kurds
Turkey banned any public usage of Kurdish language in 1938. The new Turkish constitution of 1961 allowed Kurdish publications, but most were banned upon their appearance and during the 1980s several laws were intended to repress the use of Kurdish. Finally in 1991, the Turkish government legalized the use of Kurdish.
Until recently, the teaching in Kurdish language was banned. This ban was lifted and there are now two Kurdish private schools for a population of about 10 million Kurds. However, Kurdish is still banned from regular education. This is a disputed issue with the European Union, as European conventions require education in the areas historically and currently inhabited by Kurds.
Religious freedom
The practice of separation of religious and state matters was adopted with the declaration of the constitution. It has been and still is one of the most heated debates in Turkey.
- Islamic prayer leaders and sermonizers have their salaries paid from the state budget as social servants, where the clerics of other religions do not have this privilege. An agreement between the clergy of non-islamic religions and government to integrate non-islamic institutions as secular, governmental bodies like their islamic counterparts seems unlikely. Although, if it did occur, this could enable the clergy to be paid from the state budget just like islamic prayer leaders and sermonizers.
- No religion, including Islam, is allowed to open religious schools. Religious education is only allowed by state-appointed teachers, who are required to have educational background in state-run schools and universities. These are secular by the nature of Turkish education system. Clergy are forbidden to act as the religious body that would be necessary to run a religious school. In the past, the Greek Orthodox Church's insistence on isolating itself from the national high education system resulted in shutdown of the Halki Seminary. Talks are currently underway to reopen this institution.
- The secular education system strictly forbids discrimination of schools for religious grounds. The founders, teachers and students can not be persecuted for their religious preferences, and all schools are monitored closely by the Ministry of Education to uphold the secular standards set by the republic.