TURKEY TAGS MINORITIES WITH 'RACE CODE'

[Yervant1]

TURKEY TAGS MINORITIES WITH 'RACE CODE'

http://asbarez.com/112334/turkey-tags-minorities-with-race-code/
Friday, August 2nd, 2013

St. Giragos Armenian Church in Turkey

State Racism Still Alive in Turkey, Leaked Document Reveals

ISTANBUL--Turkey's Interior Ministry has confirmed that minorities in
the country are given secret codes depending on which community they
belong to and that such information is sent to the Education Ministry.

This confirmation comes less than a week after the categorization
system was revealed by the Armenian-Turkish weekly newspaper, Agos.

Concern over the "race codes" was raised on August 1 after
Agos uncovered an official document penned by the Istanbul
Provincial Education Directorate, revealing that Turkey's population
administration system has been categorizing citizens who have Armenian,
Jewish or Anatolian Greek origins with secret "race codes."

"Minority citizens' race status is given to the Education Ministry
based on information taken from the state register of the Ottoman
period," the Interior Ministry said in a statement that was sent to
Agos on August 1. The statement also said that contemporary state
registers do not record any information about the race or religion
of citizens.

"There are no categories of race, breed, or sect in the state
registers," said the statement sent to Agos.

Race statuses for minorities are taken from their nationality or race
information during Ottoman times and sent to the Education Ministry,
according to the 40th and 41st articles of the Lausanne Treaty, which
was signed between Turkey and Western powers in 1923 and paved the
way for the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

"Citizens with Armenian origins are coded as '2,'" Agos said in its
lead story on August 1.

The uncovered document, sent from the Istanbul Provincial Education
Directorate to the Å~^iÅ~_li District National Education office,
stated that "since 1923, the secret code of Armenians has been '2'
on identity registration certificates," according to Agos.

"Since 1923, identity registration certificates have had a secret
'race code,'" the document added.

An official from the population administration told the daily Radikal
that the practice was being conducted "to allow minority groups to
use their rights as dictated by the Lausanne Treaty."

As part of the practice, Greeks are classified as "1," Armenians are
coded as "2," while Jews are registered as "3" in the system. Other
non-Turkish groups are not coded, an official told Radikal.

Opposition party lawmakers harshly criticized the alleged document.

"If this is true, it is grave. It must be examined. I will bring this
to Parliament's agenda," Sezgin Tanrıkulu, deputy head of the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), told Hurriyet Daily News.

Altan Tan, a deputy of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), stated
that there had long been such allegations but that they were always
denied by the authorities. Tan urged Interior Minister Muammer Guler
to make a statement on the issue.

"If there is such a thing going on, it is a big disaster. The fact that
the state is illegally profiling its own citizens based on ethnicity
and religion, and doing this secretly, is a big catastrophe," Tan said.

[Yervant1]

TURKISH INTERIOR MINISTRY CONFIRMS 'RACE CODES' FOR MINORITIES

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 2 2013

ISTANBUL - Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey's Interior Ministry has confirmed that minorities in the country
are given codes depending on which community they belong to and that
such information is sent to the Education Ministry, less than a week
after the categorization system was revealed by weekly Agos.

"Minority citizens' race status is given to the Education Ministry
depending on the nationality or race information taken from the state
register of the Ottoman period," the ministry said in a statement
that was sent to the Armenian-Turkish weekly on Aug. 1. The statement
also said contemporary state registers did not record any information
about the race or sect of citizens.

"There are no terms of race, breed, or sect in the state registers,"
said the statement sent to Agos.

Minority citizens' race status is taken from their nationality or race
information during Ottoman times and sent to the Education Ministry,
according to the 40th and 41st articles of the Lausanne Treaty, which
was signed between Turkey and Western countries in 1923 and presaged
the foundation of the Turkish Republic.

In Turkey, only minority communities' members can register their
children at minority schools, according to the Lausanne Treaty,
said the statement.

"Depending on the citizens' demands, religions such as Islam,
Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism or
Zoroastrianism can be recorded in the state family register, according
to the 2nd and 35th articles of Law No. 5490," the statement added.

The debate over the "race codes" was raised on Aug. 1 after Agos
reported an official document penned by the Istanbul Provincial
Education Directorate, revealing that Turkey's population
administration system had been recording citizens who have Armenian,
Jewish or Anatolian Greek (Rum) origins with secret "race codes."

"Citizens with Armenian origins are coded with '2,'" Agos said in
its lead story on Aug. 1.

The secret coding system emerged when a Turkish citizen of Armenian
origin attempted to register her child at an Armenian kindergarten
only to be told by the school to prove that she has the "2 code."

A document sent from the Istanbul Provincial Education Directorate to
the Å~^iÅ~_li District National Education office stated that "since
1923, the secret code of Armenians is '2' on identity registration
certificates," according to Agos.

"Since 1923, identity registration certificates have had a secret
'race code,'" the document added.

Ä°smail Cem Halavurt, a lawyer for the family in question, said they
were continuing their struggle to register the family in the Armenian
kindergarten.

"Now we are waiting for an official document saying, 'Yes, your
race code is '2,' you can register in an Armenian school,'" Halavurt
told Agos.

An official from the population administration told daily Radikal
that the practice was being conducted "to allow minority groups to
use their rights stemming the Lausanne Treaty."

As part of the practice, Greeks are classified as "1," Armenians
are coded as "2," while Jews are notated as "3" in the system. Other
non-Turkish groups are not coded, an official told daily Radikal.

The opposition parties' lawmakers harshly criticized the alleged
document.

"If this is true, it is fatal. It must be examined. I will bring
this to Parliament's agenda," Sezgin Tanrıkulu, deputy head of the
main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), told the Hurriyet
Daily News.

Altan Tan, a deputy of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), stated
that there had long been such allegations but that they were always
denied by the authorities. Tan urged Interior Minister Muammer Guler
to make a statement on the issue.

"If there is such a thing going on, it is a big disaster. The fact that
the state is illegally profiling its own citizens based on ethnicity
and religion, and doing this secretly, is a big catastrophe," Tan said.

August/02/2013

[Yervant1]

CODING ARMENIANS IN TURKEY SHOWS HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM DEMOCRACY

http://armenpress.am/eng/print/728381/coding-armenians-in-turkey-shows-how-far-they-are-from-democracy.html
15:05, 6 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENRPESS. Putting secret codes on the IDs of the
Armenians in Turkey is a striking example of obvious discrimination
against the national minorities of the Turkish state.

As reports "Armenpress" lawyer and historian Ara Papyan stated this
at the course of the press conference convoked on August 6.

Also, Ara Papyan underlined that as an Armenian citizen he is very
concerned about the presence of secret coding.

Among other things turkologist Artak Shakaryan noted that this incident
is closely related with the white genocide initiated in 1915 by the
Ottoman Empire, which is going on till present. Also, Artak Shakaryan
highlighted: "In the Ottoman Empire the Armenians were compelled to
convert to Muslim religion, otherwise they would be executed. Thus
they converted to Muslim religion not individuals, but entire groups."

In addition the turkologist underscored that Modern Turkey declares
that they have nothing to do with the Genocide, but the reality proves
something quite different.

A note of educational directorate of Istanbul discovered the fact of
putting secret code "2" in ID documents of citizens of Armenian origin.

About this informs "Agos" newspaper mentioning that in one of official
documents is said that in the ID documents of citizens which were
recognized as national minority by Lausanne treaty must be put secret
codes which are determined for Greeks "1", for Armenians "2" and for
Jewish "3".

The process of coding non-Muslims in Turkey since 1923 continues till
nowadays according to circulars of 1983 and 2001. "Armenpress" reports
making a reference on Turkish T24 internet newspaper that reporter
of "Radikal" Kemal Jengiz declared that it is the "spirit of fascist
state". "In modern Turkey non-Muslim citizens always felt the pressure
from the state. Already is half-known the spirit of fascistcountry
which for hundred years looks at its citizens without non-confidence,
threatens, makes them to leave the country, seizes their property
and etc. Those numbers discover the codes kept in black boxes after
doing crimes since 1915. Those numbers are codes of modern Turkey,"
stated Jengiz mentioning that the discovery is a good opportunity
for Diaspora Armenians to use it European Court on Human Rights in
judicial cases of compensation.