ECLJ to Meet with Prime Minister's Office of Turkey Regarding Legal Impossibility of Protestants to Register Houses of Worship

February 13, 2006

(Strasbourg, France)-The European Centre for Law and Justice is solidifying plans to meet with the Prime Minister's Office of Turkey in regards to the legal impossibility for Turkish Protestant's to register houses of worship. ECLJ is currently co-counsel in a case before the European Court of Human Rights against the Turkish government on behalf of the Alliance of Protestant Churches on this very issue. ECLJ met with the Prime-Minster's representative at a European Parliament sponsored event and was invited to Ankara to review efforts by the governing AK Party to solidify rights for all believers in Turkey to worship freely. ECLJ feels that a time is ripe for such a meeting as pressure to remain transparent and adhere to European standards of freedoms weighs against Turkey, a candidate for European Union entry. ECLJ has received the commendation of the majority party of European Parliament in its efforts to address this issue with the Turkish Prime Minister's Office.