Evangelical Leader calls for Referendum on Turkey's Controversial EU Bid

The chairman of the National Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, has made a call for a referendum on Turkey’s proposed membership into the European Union. Bishop Wolfgang Huber, in Berlin said, "I believe a referendum on that would be the right thing."

The Evangelical Church is the largest denomination within Germany’s Protestant community, and Huber is the bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg.

Huber reported his opinion that the referendum should come as soon as possible so that EU members could not make excuses that there were no other options in making their decisions on the Muslin-based country.

He stated that the decision last week in Brussels to commence entry talks with Turkey next year should be structured so that options would be created by the end of the discussions. He emphasised that the talks must not be a simply all or nothing proposal.

The entry of Turkey into the European Union has come into the spotlight over the past few months, because if successful it would signify the first time that a country that is not traditionally Christian is admitted into the EU.

Turkey’s population consists of 99% Muslim, and although these historical entry talks are set to begin, EU officials have been careful to point out that the commencement of the entry talks would not guarantee that Turkey would eventually join.

However, the controversy surrounding Turkey this past week has not just stopped there. Within Turkey recently all charges were dropped against Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is the Turkey-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.

The Patriarch was charged of barring a Bulgarian priest from conducting religious services, but the authorities have made an unexpected U-turn and have dropped all charges against Bartholomew and against a number of other top church leaders.

The Turkish authorities have released a statement saying that they would announce the reason for their decision to drop the charges at a later date.

The case was brought into the media spotlight as it appeared to illustrate clearly to the public a challenge to Bartholomew’s authority, and represented how the country defined secularism.

Bartholomew’s attorney warmly greeted the decision, and said that the decision had partially come as a result of the pressure on Turkey to expand religious freedom in its bid to enter the EU.

The pressure on Turkey’s bid to join the European Union has been evident to all, as EU officials have even criticised Turkey for the ways in which the state intervenes in religious circumstances.

The Orthodox leader’s lawyer said, "A secular state should not get involved in religious affairs."

Bartholomew and twelve other senior Christian leaders were charged in the predominantly Muslim yet secular country, and were apprehended with the rare charge of "preventing others from observing faith and conducting religious services". The charges could have led to a five year imprisonment.

Turkey has been known to keep very close watch on the Patriarch due to his close ties with Turkey’s neighbouring rivals, Greece.

The Patriarch has spiritual authority over the world’s 300million Orthodox Christians and has direct control over a number of Greek Orthodox churches around the world.

However, Turkey has dismissed this role, and only recognises Bartholomew as the head of Turkey’s declining Greek Orthodox community consisting of approximately 3,000.

Continuing controversy concerning Turkey’s ways in dealing with religious minorities have been the main reason why other EU member nations have been hesitant in backing the country’s push to join, and leaves Turkey’s future on joining the world’s largest free-trade bloc open to fall either way.