Independent Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament Tuma Çelik: All minorities must stand up to unjust Endowment Law

ANKARA — The Turkish government’s new Endowment Law is considered unfair to the rights of minorities in Turkey by many observers, especially to the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people, and a clear violation of the provisions of the Lausanne Treaty that guarantees the rights of minorities.

During the Suroyo TV program “Issues Without Borders”, independent Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament Tuma Çelik stated that:

“The Turkish state was built on an ethnic and religious basis. Thus, all non-Turkish and non-Muslim peoples were considered minorities. The Lausanne Treaty guaranteed the minorities to practice their rituals and languages. Unfortunately, the Syriac people were not able to take advantage of the treaty to obtain their rights, because the Syriac officials at that time believed the Turkish rumors that Syriacs were not covered by the provisions of the treaty, which clearly included all non-Muslim peoples.”

With regard to the endowments and institutions of minorities, MP Çelik declared that the old law allowed minorities a partial freedom to manage their endowments and institutions. However, the new law has caused chaos among endowment officials. It also gave the government powers to interfere in endowment work and determine the heads and members of minority endowments.

He added that the new law was met with condemnation by minorities, some of whom have filed lawsuits against it.

MP Çelik stressed that the government issued the law to tighten its grip on minority peoples in Turkey and appoint people loyal to it to implement its agendas and circumvent the Lausanne Treaty.

He stated that all minorities must show solidarity and cooperation to stand up to the unjust law by filing joint lawsuits because the Turkish government will not amend the law on its own.