The representatives of minority communities, including the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Orthodox Community of Turkey Archbishop Aram Ateşyan and Turkey’s Chief Rabbi, Rav. Isak Haleva issued a joint statement on the allegations that people belonging to different religions in the country were under pressure.
DENIAL TO THE ALLEGATIONS OF PRESSURE FROM THE RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
The representatives of the religious minorities did the following statement in order to deny the allegations of limitations and pressures on them and the fulfillment of their worship:
“We are free to live our beliefs as religious representatives and foundation directors of different faiths and beliefs in our country since centuries, and we fulfill our worship according to our traditions freely. The statements that claim and / or imply that there is pressure are totally untrue.
Many troubles which have been experienced in the past are resolved by the time. We are constantly in dialog with the institutions of our state with the mutual good will and the solution of the issues that we desire are developing. We are responsible for informing the public in the right direction and making this joint statement with conscience.”
