Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the notion of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief, and the scope of its protection in international law with particular reference to the right to acquire legal personality and autonomy of religious or belief communities. It employs the case-study method to study the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey. The book describes the case study on Turkey constitutes the applied part of the study; the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief is assessed with a view to evaluate the compliance of Turkish legislation and practice with international norms as well as seeking to identify how the standard of international review of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief can be improved.