The deputy Prime Minister of Turkey supported the reopening of the Halki Theological school

(Thanks for the article Elias)

The Greek Reporter

Posted on 12 July 2010 by Anny Tzotzadini

“The case of the reopening of the Halki Theological school has to be solved before the European Court of Human rights examines the issue” Bulent Aric, the deputy Prime Minister of Turkey stated on Saturday in an interview for a broadcast of Channel 24.

Mr. Aric asked about the Halki Theological School said that «in Turkey, there are citizens with different faiths» and he also added: «Our state has to fulfil these requirements. We have to say yes to these fair demands of our citizens having different faiths, approaching them as fundamental rights. Because we are not only the government of the muslims. If they have deficiencies in learning and following their religion, if they have such requirements, then the government has to fulfil these requirements».

“I personally believe that the Halki Theological School has to reoperate as a school that will educate clerics” Aric said underlining that «we have to give this permission in any case. But althouth this is a very simple case, the biggest obstacle is the resolution that the Constitutional Court of Tureky received in the past».

Aric said that this problem has to be solved before there is an appeal to the European Court and he added: “We make some preparations. Maybe in the interior of the coutry we will be critisized. Some political parties will use it against us, but there is no point. The right thing is to do the right. We have to offer to our citizens a mechanism that will cover in the interior of Turkey the needs of the clerics».

In 1971, the Constitutional Court of Turkey has cancelled articles of the law on private schools, resulting in the prohibition of the operation of the private schools. In addition, the Ministry for Education of Turkey embraced the Theological school in the same framework of these private schools and prohibited its operation. The judicial effort that had started by the Patriarchate against this resolution of the Ministry for Education had no result.

But the legal framework that the Constitutional Court took into consideration in 1971, the Constitution in other words, the law on private schools and the legal framework for the superior schools do not have force. The new legal framework permits the private superior schools. Moreover, apart from the Treaty of Lausanne that Provided libery in religion and education, the main legal framework is that relating to the European Agreement for human rights.

The ecumenical patriarch Vartholomeos has stated that in case of the School not reoperating by 2011, there will be an appeal to the European Court.