Turkey chides Switzerland over minaret ban

December 1, 2009

Turkey, which aspires to become the first Muslim member of the European Union, says a Swiss ban on minarets violates basic human rights and freedoms. Turkey's Foreign Ministry says in a statement on Tuesday that the Swiss vote has caused disappointment and is unfortunate. It calls on Switzerland to correct the decision, adding that more than 100,000 Turks living in Switzerland are worried. Europe's top human-rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has criticized the ban, indicating that the heavily criticized vote could be overturned.