Law

1
Law Religion in Turkey
Human Rights
History
Constitution
International
Wild Turkey
100
100
100
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
300
300
300
300
300
400
400
400
400
400
500
500
500
500
500
FINAL
2
100 from History

• Q The decline of what empire in the aftermath of
  WWI made way for the development of the political
  system characterized by a high degree of
  secularism that continues in Turkey today?
• The Austro-Hungarian Empire
• The Ottoman Empire
• The Arab Empire

3
200 from History

• Q The location of Turkey astride which two
  continents may have led to its having developed a
  religio-legal system that reflects both eastern
  and western principles.
• Asia and Africa
• Europe and Africa
• Asia and Europe

4
300 from History

• Q The mosque below was once the major mosque of
  Istanbul and served as a model for Ottoman Muslim
  architecture for hundreds of years. What was the
  buildings original purpose?
• Christian Cathedral
• Ottoman Palace
• Zoroastrian Temple

5
400 from History

• Q The 1924 reforms abolished the Islamic courts
  and introduced a western legal system with the
  aim of secularizing Turkey.  However, these same
  reforms formed the Diyanet, a government
  institution responsible for educating the public
  about Islam, administering sacred worship
  places.  The Diyanet has recently taken what step
  considered radical in Islam? 
• It has educated women as preachers
• It has questioned the authenticity of the Quran
• It has questioned Muhammads being Gods prophet

6
500 from History

• Q Why did the Turkish military do a coup detat
  in 1997 and replace the coalition government led
  by the first Islamic Prime Minister since the
  founding of the republic, Necmettin Erbakan?
• Erbakan started a war with Greece
• Erbakan violated Turkeys secular principles and
  tried to form an Islamic Government
• Erbakan tried to restore the Ottoman Empire

7
100 from Human Rights

• Q 96.9 of the people in Turkey positively
  identify themselves as believers in this
  religion.
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism

Explanation Islam, particularly its Sunni
branch, is the most prevalent religious belief in
Turkey.
8
200 from Human Rights

• Q In the October 2007 case of Hasan and Eylem
  Zengin v. Turkey, the European Court of Human
  Rights found in favor of two Turkish nationals of
  this religious faith.
• Alevi Islam
• Judaism
• Christianity

9
300 from Human Rights

• Q Turkey became the 13th member state of this
  regional organization on 9 August 1949.
• The Council of Europe
• The Human Rights Tribunal
• The European Court for the Protection of Peoples
  Rights

10
400 from Human Rights

• Q This group represents the largest non-Turkish
  ethnicity in Turkey and inhabits the Southeast
  portion of the country.
• Arabs
• Kurds
• Circassians

Explanation An estimated 20 of the population
of Turkey is comprised by Kurds, who complain of,
among others, the governments alleged campaign
to destroy their Kurdish identity, and the
economic disadvantages and the human rights
violations they suffer due to their ethnicity.
11
500 from Human Rights

• Q The United Nations Committee on the
  Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
  Against Women (CEDAW) has expressed concern that
  the ban on the wearing of this religious garment
  has resulted in discrimination against female
  students.
• Burka
• Hijab
• Chador

12
100 from Constitution

• Q In line with Turkeys tradition of
  secularism, the Constitutional Court has banned a
  number of these groups on the basis of their
  anti-secular or separatist behavior
• Political Parties
• Punk Rock Bands
• Olympic sport teams

Explanation the Constitutional Court can strip
funding from political parties or outlaw their
existence, while leaders may be banned from
sitting in Parliament or serving in certain
political posts for up to five years.
13
200 from Constitution

• Q This type of religious activity is NOT
  prohibited by law in Turkey
• Proselytizing and religious conversions
• Wearing of headscarves by civil servants while in
  public buildings
• Religious leaders reproaching of state laws while
  performing their duties

Explanation Although no law explicitly prohibits
proselytizing or religious conversions, the US
State Department reports that many prosecutors
and police regard proselytizing and religious
activism with suspicion.
14
300 from Constitution

• Q What was the subject of the regulation upheld
  by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of
  Human Rights in Leyla Sahin v. Turkey on November
  10, 2005?
• The ban on students wearing headscarves in
  university
• The closing of churches on Sunday
• A government policy not to fund religious
  education

15
400 from Constitution

• Q Turkeys constitution directly affects
  education in the following way
• By prohibiting funding for religious schools by
  the government
• By establishing compulsory religious and moral
  instruction in primary and secondary schools
• By prohibiting religious and moral instruction in
  primary and secondary schools

Explanation Article 24 of the Constitution and
Article 12 of the State Education Act provides
that instruction in religious and moral education
is compulsory. Non-Muslims are exempt.
16
500 from Constitution

• Q The government of Turkey has been
  characterized as practicing active neutrality
  with respect to religion. To what does this
  refer?
• The absence of the state in religious affairs
• The governments stance to analyze the actions of
  the state relating to religion
• Cars should be actively driven in neutral

17
100 from International

• Q In which international organizations is Turkey
  currently a member?
• European Union, United Nations, Organisation for
  Economic Co-operation and Development, Council of
  Europe, NATO
• European Union and United Nations
• United Nations, Organisation for Economic
  Co-operation and Development, Council of Europe,
  NATO

18
200 from International

• Q The US-Turkey relationship has recently been
  strained due to what
• bill being passed by the Foreign Affairs
  Committee of the House of
• Representatives.
• A bill condemning the Armenian Genocide
• A bill condemning the funding of religious
  schools
• A bill urging Turkey to protect religious
  freedoms

19
300 from International

• Q Is Turkey a member of the Organization of the
  Islamic Conference, which is an
  inter-governmental organization with a Permanent
  Delegation to the United Nations?
• Yes
• No
• Only an associate member

Explanation Turkey is a founding member of the
OIC.
20
400 from International

• Q Which religious figure created controversy by
  visiting Turkey in 2006?
• The Dalai Lama
• Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
• The Pope

Explanation On November 28, 2006 Pope Benedict
XVI visited Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul and ancient
Ephesus. The visit was beset with controversy
stemming from comments the Pope had made in
September.
21
500 from International

• Q Which of the following is NOT a major issue on
  the agenda of the upcoming EU accession
  negotiations with Turkey?
• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom of Speech
• Access to airports and ports

Explanation Despite religion being one of the
most written about issues surrounding the
possible accession of Turkey into the European
Union, there are no plans to discuss religion
specifically.
22
100 from Wild Turkey

• Q What are the three officially recognized
  religious minorities in Turkey?
• Roman Catholics, Buddhists, and Jews
• Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Orthodox
  Christians, and Jews
• Russian Orthodox Christians, Armenian Orthodox
  Christians, and Roman Catholics

23
200 from Wild Turkey

• Q Turkey has been criticized for denying and
  restricting this right of minority religious
  groups
• Property Ownership
• Voting Rights
• Mobility Rights

Explanation The law allows the 161 religious
minority foundations recognized by the General
Directorate for Foundations to acquire property
and the GDF has approved 364 applications by
non-Muslin foundations to acquire legal ownership
of properties.
24
300 from Wild Turkey

• Q Turkey is one of a few Muslim countries that
  is officially secular. What Western African,
  former French colony and majority Muslim nation
  shares similar secular provisions?
• Senegal
• Namibia
• Angola

25
400 from Wild Turkey

• Q Graduates of Imam haptip (Islamic Preacher)
  high schools will receive this type of treatment
  when applying to university programs other than
  theology.
• A reduction in their tuition fees
• A reduction in their entrance exam grades
• A reduction in their residential housing fees

Explanation These schools are classified as
vocational in nature, and graduates of
vocational schools face and automatic reduction
of their university entrance exam grades if they
apply to a program outside of their filed of high
school specialization.
26
500 from Wild Turkey

• Q Why did the Council of State rule in favor of
  the education authorities revocation of a
  nursery school teachers promotion to the
  position of school principle?
• She was promoting Orthodox Christianity while at
  work
• She regularly wore a headscarf outside of school
• She refused to work on Saturday due to her
  religious beliefs

27
Final Jeopardy
Politicians

28

• Q A Muslim woman who wears a hijab is elected to
  the National Grand Assembly of Turkey. According
  to the laws of Turkey, should she be able to wear
  the hijab? (Be prepared to justify your answer)

29

• Q A Muslim woman who wears a hijab is elected to
  the National Grand Assembly of Turkey. According
  to the laws of Turkey, should she be able to wear
  the hijab? (Be prepared to justify your answer)
• In 1999, Merve Kavakci was elected to the
  National Grand Assembly of Turkey. She was
  prevented from swearing the required oath of
  office due to the fact that she insisted on
  wearing her hijab in Parliament.