Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURK KULTURU VE HACI BEKTAS VELI-ARASTIRMA DERGISI, sa.64, ss.169-184, 2012 (AHCI)
Nowadays, the European Union sees human rights as a universal value and actively promotes them both within its borders and in its relations with outside countries, especially with candidate countries. Respect for human rights and minority rights in particular are included in the Copenhagen Criteria for accession, the requirement a candidate state must meet in order to become a EU member state. In this context, the EU also gives great importance to the freedom of religion because religious equality and freedom are the main principles of the European Union. Therefore, countries which apply to join the EU need to meet EU standarts. On the other hand, the EU accession process stimulates reforms and plays an important role in the protection of human rights in Turkey. Turkey has been negotiating membership with the EU since October 2005. The EU encourages Turkey to improve its human rights standards by stressing in particular the areas of freedom of religion where substantial progress is needed. In this context, the status of Alewis is central to European Union concerns about the freedom of religion in Turkey. Each year the situation is assessed by the European Commission. In these reports, the EU regularly cites the situation of Alewis as a concern by referring to the major difficulties they encounter. Since 1998, the Commission reports have contained many criticisms including continuing difficulties especially in the Alewi places of worship (Djem houses), structure of Presidency of Religious Affairs and compulsory religious education.