Written by Don Byrd
Today the US Commission on International Religious Freedom released their annual report. One of the primary features of the annual report is its recommendations for the State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern, the most notorious violators of religious freedom in the world.
For the last few years, the State Department’s CPC list has consisted of 8 nations, while the USCIRF report has recommended 16, with several others named to a watch list. As I dutifully read the introductory material to this year’s report, I noticed something. They only recommended 15 countries for the CPC list this year, not 16. So, a country is actually doing better? It turns out yes. Turkey was taken off the list. Not only is Turkey not recommended for particular concern, it isn’t even on this year’s watch list, which the Commission is now referring to as Tier 2. Read on to see what Turkey is now doing right. From the report:
For the last several years Turkey has implemented a number of reforms to begin to rectify many of the longstanding restrictions on the country’s diverse religious communities. These new policies and initiatives, which relate to returning expropriated minority properties, loosening the ban on headscarves, and issues related to textbook reforms and increased educational opportunities, among others, indicate that Turkey is moving in a positive direction with regard to religious freedom. In addition, a parliamentary commission is currently engaged in redrafting the national constitution, which many believe will support greater human rights, including religious freedom. The political and societal climate in Turkey over the last several years has also been more open to public debate on religious freedom matters.
