TURKEY GOING TO CARRY OUT SECRET CENSUS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish Interior Ministry has issued a secret memorandum calling on prefects to carry out a special census on minorities living in the country. In the corresponding directive addressed to 81 prefects of Turkey, the ministry called to establish detailed files on Armenians, Greeks, Jewish, Assyrians and other national minorities residing in their districts, European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy reports. In this view, the Federation sent letters to a number of European organizations, EU included, noting that minorities live in permanent fear, which has resulted in a dramatic decline in the country's minority population. The Federation urged the European authorities to monitor the situation created in this regard in Turkey. Despite Europe's calls for reforms on democratization of the society, national minorities continue to be considered a threat to state security, the letter says.