Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of this motion moved by the member for Mitchell with reference to the Republic of Turkey and its relations with the different Christian minorities in the area. This motion was seconded by the member for Prospect. It was to be seconded by the member for Barton, who has a great interest in this area and unfortunately was unable to speak today. Firstly, I would like to point out that the Greek-Australian community and the Turkish-Australian community should be commended for the peaceful manner in which they coexist in this country, as was mentioned in the motion by the member for Mitchell. In a climate of world tension and unrest these two communities have set an example of how to live and learn with people of all nationalities and religions.

I too welcome Turkey’s request for membership of the European Union, but there are certain areas of responsibility and concern that quite simply cannot be ignored, and one of them is the reunification of the island of Cyprus. That is paramount. This is a central and critical issue that the Turkish government must act upon without hesitation. Cyprus remains divided after the Turkish invasion of 1974. Northern Cyprus is not recognised by any other country throughout the world. It is recognised only by the Republic of Turkey. The fact that over 200,000 Cypriots were expelled from their country courtesy of the invasion in 1974 makes it one of the great tragedies of modern day history. It is time to take whatever action is necessary for ensuring that this issue is resolved once and for all. The only acceptable outcome is for Cyprus to become unified.

I would also like to mention Turkey’s relations with the Christian minorities in the Republic of Turkey. While there have been reforms, promises of reforms and some improvements in this area, we must prove beyond doubt that the Turkish government is prepared and willing to conform to expectations from governments all over the world that they should be viewed as a worthy member of the European community. The government of the Republic of Turkey must dispel once and for all global concerns that, if admitted to the European Union, it would pose a problem.

We must ensure that human rights are preserved. They can begin this process by adhering to the following: return to the Christian minorities properties that have been and continue to be expropriated by the state. In particular, the Greek and Armenian Orthodox communities have lost numerous properties to the state in the past and continue to fight ongoing efforts by the state for these properties. I hope the government of Turkey realises that this practice of seizing properties from minority Christian communities must stop immediately and all properties must be returned to their rightful owners.

The Turkish government must allow the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Theological College on the island of Halke, the most important teaching institution in the Orthodox world. It was closed in 1971 after claims that private tertiary educational institutions were not permitted to operate in Turkey. The Turkish government must also permit the reopening of the Armenian Apostolic Seminary in Istanbul. The government of the Republic of Turkey must allow all other Christian denominations, in particular the Syriac Orthodox one, to conduct seminaries of their own.

As the eyes of the world watch closely with great interest the unfolding of Turkey’s request for admission to the European Union as a full member—and I am sure everyone supports that admission—I sincerely hope that the government of Turkey will listen to the voices of governments around the world and of the European Union and comply with the expectations put before them. There are some very welcoming signs that the government will take these up. Firstly, we welcome the initial cautious attitude adopted by the current Justice and Development Party (AKP) government of Prime Minister Erdogan on the Armenian genocide and we hope he will continue to retain an open mind on this burning issue. Secondly, we welcome other initiatives by the current Prime Minister, including cosponsoring, with the Prime Minister of Spain, the UN auspice initiative for the Alliance of Civilisations. Thirdly, there are healthy and encouraging signs for Turkish democracy that courageous voices, such as that of Turkey’s leading novelist, Orhan Pamuk, are being heard over this issue. I remind members of the remarks Pamuk made concerning the Armenian genocide during an interview in February 2005 with the Swiss magazine Das Magazin. He said:

Thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.

He was subsequently prosecuted but the charges were dropped. I hope these comments help in some way to ensure that peace reigns in Asia Minor forever and a day so that we will live in a peaceful world.

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