Paper chief editor urges legal status for Istanbul’s Armenian Patriarchate

PanARMENIAN.Net - The much-anticipated democratization package unveiled by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has raised the hopes of non-Muslim groups; however, some community members have underlined the need for more focused solutions for their decades-old concerns, Today’s Zaman said.

“The democratization package includes promising reforms and has paved the way for more steps to be taken regarding our problems; yet, the existing points are insufficient to address our main concerns,” said Ara Kochunyan, editor-in-chief of the Zhamanak newspaper, an Armenian weekly.

Commenting on the content of the package to Today's Zaman, Kochunyan stated the main demand of the Armenian community is the provision of a legal status for the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul. “The democratization package does not offer a specific solution to our problem. However, we attach importance to the continuation of the pro-democratization environment created within the last 10 years,” noted Kochunyan.

In late September, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unveiled a long-anticipated package of reforms designed “to strengthen democracy and keep on track a fragile settlement process” to end the conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to Today’s Zaman.

He said the reform package is a critical step to stop bloodshed in Turkey.

The most important reforms include removing restrictions of wearing Islamic headscraves, possibility of education in mother tongue, restoration of original names of villages, districts and provinces that existed before 1980, sweeping changes in law on political parties, possibility of lowering 10 percent electoral threshold in entering Parliament, improving assembly freedom and other small rights for religious and ethnic minorities.

Other changes were related to law on political parties. Erdoğan said parties who exceed 3 percent of votes in general elections will get necessary state funding. According to Turkish law, parties need to receive at least seven percent to be eligible for state funding.

Moreover, the reforms bring more freedom for citizens to become party members. Erdoğan said the package envisages lifting obstacles that restrict citizens to become members of political parties.

Another drastic and much-expected reform is education in schools in another language. The reforms will make it possible for students to receive education in their mother tongue in educational facilities. The schools will able to deliver education in languages besides the official Turkish language, the prime minister said.