and identity in Turkey. Moreover, Turkish authorities do not allow the formation of new Armenian foundations that aim to protect Armenian identity and provide communal services to the Armenian community. Due to these barriers and issues, Armenians face a wide range of difficulties in terms of social and economic participation. I also want to present some recommendations for tackling these problems. First, I urge the state to follow up on the Council of Europe’s recommendation for the adoption of a law against discrimination. This would contribute to the prevention of employment and workplace discrimination and strengthen the participation of minorities in economic and social life in Turkey. Second, to ease the problems in education, the state should stop the exclusion of minority schools from the public funding scheme. It should not treat these institutions as profit-driven organizations and should exempt them from taxation because they, in fact, carry out a public service. Third, the state should recognize the communal function of minority foundations and the legal status of the patriarchate and return confiscated and seized properties belonging to the foundations. It should also allow the formation of new minority foundations. Finally, I want to emphasize that the adoption of an international treaty on minority rights building on the initiative started by the former special rapporteur Fernand de Varennes would contribute to the resolution of these problems. To ensure the materialization of minority rights and putting rights into practice, such a treaty must address the issue of discrimination and barriers to social and economic participation. 3