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ECRI Stress Bulgaria's Turks in Report |
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Thursday, 26 February 2009The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) which is independent human rights monitoring body specialised in questions relating to racism and intolerance, announced Tuesday the release of the reports on Bulgaria, Hungary and Norway as part of a new series of country monitoring, examining racism and intolerance in Europe.
According to report, the legal and institutional framework against racism and discrimination has been strengthened and initiatives have been taken to improve the situation of Roma and of refugees in Bulgaria. However, some anti-racism or anti-discrimination legal provisions are rarely applied.
ECRI in a report said that a Bulgarian extreme right-wing party the Nationalist Union Attack, has been launching virulent verbal attacks on Turks as an ethnic and religious group and complained that the authorities have not taken "firmer stance in preventing the party concerned from verbally attacking Turks or in applying the provisions of the criminal code concerning incitement to racial or religious hatred to it'. It is also well known that the mentioned Party has often presented Turks as a threat to the country. Moreover, the leader of the nationalist and extreme right Ataka Party Volen Siderov has been sentenced several times in the past by the Sofia City Court, for his discriminatory remarks against Bulgaria's ethnic Turks. It was said that Siderov statements were about the showing of news in Turkish on the Bulgarian National TV, and relates that to the period when Bulgaria was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Beside, the Court was decided that Siderov has created a hostile and threatening environment for the Bulgarian Turks by suggesting a connection between them and events from the past and potentially from the future.
Moreover the ECRI, recommended Bulgarian authorities to improve Turkish community members' situation in Bulgaria. To do so, protecting their economic, social and cultural rights is necessarily important. In its fourth report examining racism in Bulgaria ECRI said Turks have become better integrated in politics since the third report that adopted on June 2003, considering that several Turks hold high-level government posts (at ministerial level) and many mayors are from this group. Turks also participate substantially in the electoral process.
However, the report said problems still existed, particularly in the education field. Turks have a lower standard of education and a higher unemployment rate than Bulgarians. The unemployment rate is estimated at about 36 percent. There is also more poverty among Turks, according to the report.
by Simge Soyer, JTW
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Thursday, 26 February 2009
Journal of Turkish Weekly
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