Turkey Decrees Partial Return of Confiscated Christian, Jewish Property (Update)

By: Weekly Staff 28/8/2011 ANKARA, Turkey—Turkey’s government is returning hundreds of properties confiscated from the country’s Christian and Jewish minorities over the past 75 years in a gesture to religious groups who complain of discrimination that is also likely to thwart possible court rulings against the country, reported the Associated Press (AP). A government decree published on Aug. 27 returns assets that once belonged to Greek, Armenian or Jewish trusts and makes provisions for the government to pay compensation for any confiscated property that has since been sold on.