Religious Communities (Millets) in Turkey

In Turkey, everyone is expected to belong to a religious group, also called a millet. Each person must be registered under one of these communities, no matter how rich or poor they are. There are many millets in Turkey. Some of the main ones are:

Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Protestant, Bulgarian, Maronite, Nestorian, Greek Roman Catholic

Each millet has its own religious leaders. In theory, these leaders are responsible for their community’s religion, schools, hospitals, monasteries, and charitable services. They are also supposed to have some legal authority in matters related to their community.

Religious Freedom in Theory, But Not Always in Practice

In theory, every millet is allowed to practice its religion freely. Members also have the right to appeal to their religious leader for help if they are in trouble with the law. On paper, the leader of the millet is the official link between the Turkish government and the members of that community.

But in real life, these rights are often ignored. If someone is accused of a crime, the Turkish police often arrest them immediately. Many times, the person is thrown in jail without a fair trial, and they may not get any help from their millet leader. Most of the time, the only way out of prison is if their family pays money or a foreign diplomat steps in to protect them.

How Embassy Courts Work in Turkey

Foreign citizens in Turkey are usually tried in embassy courts that follow the laws of their home country, not Turkish law. These courts do not follow Turkish procedures. Everything is done just as it would be done back home Guided Tour Ephesus.

For example, in the United States embassy court, there are legal staff just like in the U.S., such as:

A clerk of court, A U.S. marshal, Judges and other legal officers, There is even a U.S. prison to hold people accused of breaking American laws while in Turkey.

Not All Countries Have the Same Level of Activity

The United States court in Turkey does not have much work to do because there are only about 200 Americans living there. Most of them are missionaries, and they rarely get involved in legal problems.

But the situation is different for other countries. The Russian, German, Austrian, and French embassies handle many more legal cases because they have more citizens living in Turkey.