Alawites to ECHR

Hasan Zengin, an Alawite living in Istanbul petitioned on 23 March 2001 to the Istanbul Education Directory, demanding that her daughter Eylem, be excluded from the compulsory Ethics and Religion classes at the primary school she attended. In his petition, Zengin said that the curriculum of the course was based on the Sunni belief , but her daughter was Alawite and was entitled not to take this course.

However the Directorate turned down Zengin’s appeal. Then Zengin launched a law suit which was rejected. Then he went to the Appeals Court which also turned down his pleading.

His daughter Eylem continued to receive the Sunni religion courses this time as a high school student. After exhausting all internal legal means, Hasan Zengin petitioned to the ECHR in Strasbourg on 2 January 2004.

The ruling to be made by ECHR in this case, in favor of Zengin, might prompt Ankara to launch a series of amendments in its laws and Constitution.