After decades of official neglect and mistrust, Turkey has taken several steps to ensure the rights of the country’s non-Muslim religious minorities. In this way it seeks to guarantee that the rule of law is applied equally for all Turkish citizens, regardless of individuals’ religion, ethnicity or language.

Turkey’s religious minorities include Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Assyrian, Keldani and other Christian denominations, as well as Jews, all of whom are integral parts of Turkish society. As part of the government’s new initiative to end any sort of discrimination against these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gul has emphasized that message by receiving Bartholomew, the Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Istanbul, and by visiting a church and a synagogue in Hatay – a first by a Turkish president.

Read the complete story(Some news sites require registration)