We want to hear Gul’s reaction to minority report

According to the Lausanne Agreement of the 1920’s, the minorities in the newly established Turkish Republic were defined as only "religious minorities." The Lausanne Agreement was a peace agreement among Western invaders of Turkey and the newly established Republic built following the war of independence.

Westerners were after saving some rights for their religious affiliates in a Muslim country. Thus, at the given time, minorities were taken as religious minorities whose rights should be protected. The new Republic liked this minority definition as the agreement ignored the rights of other minorities such as Kurds and Alawites. Ever since, we could either ignore the existence or the rights of "other minorities."

For the first time in the Republic era, the outlook towards minorities is to be changed at an official report level. The report says: "Turkey should re-study its understanding of ‘citizenship.’ Instead of emphasizing the one-cultured nation-state that largely denies human rights; a multi-cultured, freedom-loving plural society that accepts multiple-identities should be accepted."

It also says: "Minorities are those people who feel different somehow and who also feel that this difference cannot be separated from their whole identity. They either exist or not. It is their concept. The state cannot define minorities but can only decide whether it will accept the rights of those people or not."

Ever sine the report was published, all pro-status quo components in the country started creating hell. They said many things about the views reflected in the report, but what they wanted to say can be summarized in one sentence: "Those who signed this report are traitors who are stabbing the country in the back!

I understand their reaction because they are aware the power they hold is becoming lost. Thus, it is only natural for them to get tougher and tougher towards neo-fascism. However, I cannot understand the reaction of Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul.

The report is in line with the Copenhagen criteria and Mr. Gul is struggling to tailor the legal and social fabric of Turkey to the report thus enabling Turkey to get a date to start negotiations on Dec. 17 for EU membership.

Having received harsh critiques, Mr. Gul seems to be in a position of not knowing how to react to the report. He said it has nothing to do with the Prime Ministry, but it is a fact the Human Rights Committee, established by law, reports directly to him. Apparently, he never followed the meetings. He said the report should have been given to him before going to the press. But he ignores the fact that the report is not something he has to approve, or not as the case may be. The committee, by law, is an advisory unit and has the right to publish such reports without his consent.

So far, Mr. Gul has said nothing about the contents of the report. He has the right either to agree or disagree with the report, either in total or partially. We want to hear his reaction to the ideas in the report, not his reaction to the way the report was reported.