Turkey: Police response to complaints made by individuals against Muslims or Islamists; whether it would make a difference if the complainant was non-Muslim or if the complaint was related to religiously motivated actions (May 2003-May 2005)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 30 May 2005 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR100125.FE |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Police response to complaints made by individuals against Muslims or Islamists; whether it would make a difference if the complainant was non-Muslim or if the complaint was related to religiously motivated actions (May 2003-May 2005) , 30 May 2005, TUR100125.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/440ed75b2.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on police response to complaints made by individuals against Muslims or Islamists was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints.
Country Reports 2004 stated that, during the Ramadan in 2004, "there were reportedly several incidents of university students attacking students who were not fasting" (28 Feb. 2005, Sec. 2.c). Subsequently, "[t]he rector of Gaziosmanpasa University in Tokat opened an investigation against 10 students and a faculty member in connection with such attacks" (Country Reports 2004 28 Feb. 2005, Sec. 2.c). Police also had to intervene at Ankara University, when some students similarly "attacked [other] nonfasting students" (ibid.).
In 26 May 2005 correspondence, a professor of religious studies at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, who is a specialist on Turkey, indicated that the fact that an individual belongs to a religious minority could have an impact on the police's response to this individual's complaint, but he did not indicate that this would necessarily be the case.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004. 28 February 2005. United States Department of State. Washington, DC.
Professor of religious studies, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY. 26 May 2005. Correspondence.
Additional Sources Consulted
Unsucessful attempts to contact the Turkish Human Rights Association (HRA) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT).
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), BBC, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Religious Freedom Report 2004, Turkish Daily News, World News Connection (WNC).
