The Turkish government must act to stop discrimination against minority children in schools, which ignore their distinct culture, language, history and religion, says Minority Rights Group (MRG) International in a new report, released today.

In the report titled, "Forgotten or Assimilated? Minorities in the Education System of Turkey" , MRG accuses the education system in Turkey of working to assimilate minorities and promote Turkish identity and nationalism. Turkey recognizes only Armenians, Jews and Rums as minorities and denies other minorities the right to open their own schools. No minority language can be used at public schools as the language of instruction.

“Turkey has to change its minority policy and recognize the existence of diverse groups such as Assyrians, Kurds, Roma, Laz and Caucasians. It must guarantee their education rights and take affirmative action where necessary“ Nurcan Kaya, MRG Turkey Coordinator and author of the report said in a written statement.

"All schoolchildren must attend mandatory classes on religious culture and ethics. Only Christians and Jews are permitted to opt out but must disclose their religion to do so, a contravention of the Turkish Constitution."

The report found that minority pupils in these classes were sometimes asked to observe Muslim rituals that are not listed in the curriculum, such as performing ablutions, prayer and attending mosque.

Turkey’s most disadvantaged communities, such as displaced Kurds and Roma, remain extremely marginalized, including in education. Demolitions of Roma areas for ‘urbanization’ projects have left many Roma displaced and hundreds of children unable to go to school.

The report found that more than 30 per cent of the children of internally displaced Kurdish families living in Diyarbakır and Istanbul do not attend school, mainly due to poverty and the need to work.

“These conditions exacerbate the discrimination, harassment and humiliation that children from minority communities already face in Turkey, to such an extent that they often hide their ethnic and religious identities. Many minorities fear that ultimately their unique cultures will disappear”, adds Kaya.

European Union (EU) accession process has had some positive impact on the education rights of minorities in Turkey, but much remains to be done. MRG calls for the EU to put more emphasis on minorities in Turkey in its accession progress reports, and urges the Turkish government to consult with minorities on measures to promote and protect their access to education rights.

The report, which includes interviews with teachers, pupils and workers in minority NGOs and looks in detail at the issues of language, religion and discrimination in education and textbooks, recommends a complete review of the curriculum to remove discriminatory and nationalist expressions and to promote multiculturalism, tolerance and peace.(EÜ/AGÜ)