E/CN.4/1988/45 page 10 'We clearly and unequivocally declare that Muslims in Bulgaria enjoy complete freedom, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and the country's laws. They can profess Islam and perform their rites with the same freedom as enjoyed by all other religions in this country. All mosques are open and the clergy regularly officiate at rites and services. There have been no cases of preventing or in any wav restricting Muslims from performing religious rites and services. There have been no cases of mosques or other Muslim shrines being desecrated'. The allegations of the existence of 'prisoners of conscience', arrested and tried for their religious beliefs, for professinq Islam in particular, are alien to the truth. There are, indeed, some Muslims among the convicted criminals in the country, but they have been sentenced for concrete and rather serious criminal offences and not for their religious beliefs, as you have stated in your letter. Concerning the religious education of children, I would like to you that the Church in the People's Republic of Bulgaria is separate State. No religious subjects are taught at school. But parents are give their children the religious instruction they deem necessary at Believers attend religious services with their children. inform from the free to home. Circumcision is not prohibited in Bulgaria. On the contrary, it is practised and performed by qualified people at medical establishments in order to safeguard the health of those wishing to subject themselves to this operation. There is no discrimination whatsoever with regard to circumcised children in the educational establishments or outside them." Turkey 18. The Government of Turkey transmitted its reply to the Special Rapporteur's request on 14 September 1987. The reply referred to the relevant legislative provisions and stated, inter alia: "The concept of minorities in Turkey is defined by the Treaty of Lausanne dated 23 July 1923, which was signed shortly before the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. The Treaty confirms that there are only religious minorities in Turkey, identifying them as 'non-Muslim minorities', and enumerates their rights. The members of these minorities are Turkish citizens and besides their rights guaranteed by the Treaty, they enjoy all the same constitutional rights as any other Turkish citizen, without any discrimination whatsoever. In Turkey there are approximately 50,000 citizens of Armenian origin, 3,000 of Jewish origin and 6,000 of Greek origin. There is also an Assyrian community comprising approximately 55,000 citizens. Information on these religious minorities is provided below. The majority of the Armenian community of approximately 50,000 live in Istanbul. The community has 58 churches, 17 socio-cultural institutions, 4 monasteries, 2 daily newspapers (Jamanak and Marmara, published since 1908), 2 sports clubs, 5 hospitals, more than 20 schools and several community foundations. In the community schools, there are more than 400 teachers and