Georgia. The President, the National Security Council Secretary, and the Government Ombudsman have been effective advocates for religious freedom and have made numerous public speeches and appearances in support of minority religious groups. The Human Rights unit in the Legal Department of the Procuracy is charged with protecting human rights, including religious freedom. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (including the police) and the Procuracy in certain instances have become more active in the protection of religious freedom. After the transfer of power in November 2003, they pursued criminal cases against Orthodox extremists for their continued attacks against religious minorities. In March, the new government arrested the defrocked Orthodox priest, Basili Mkalavishvili, the leader of a violent movement of Orthodox believers who was responsible for hundreds of violent attacks against religious minorities. The USG and others in the international community had long urged this arrest, which has led to a noticeable improvement in lessening the harassment of minority Protestant believers.

India. The status of religious freedom improved in a number of ways during the period covered by this report, yet problems remained in some areas. By the end of its administration, the coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had adopted a more inclusive rhetoric regarding minorities and took some steps to decrease violence. In late May, a new coalition came to power that pledged to respect the country's traditions of secular government and religious tolerance and to pay particular attention to the rights of religious minorities. Both new Prime Minister Singh and President Abdul Kalam have spoken out strongly against the riots in Gujarat state in 2002 that left at least 1,000 Muslims dead, and they have highlighted the need to provide equal justice and opportunities for religious minorities. The GOI has already taken some positive steps. Shortly after the elections, the state of Tamil Nadu announced the repeal of its anti-conversion law. There also has been some progress on conflict resolution in Gujarat. In April, the Supreme Court ordered the re-trial of the Best Bakery case, in which Hindu extremists killed 14 Muslims when the bakery was attacked by a large mob. As a way of ensuring the fairness of the process, the court ordered the trial to be moved from Gujarat to the jurisdiction of Mumbai. More recently, it ruled that the Gujarat government must re-open nearly 2000 cases stemming from the 2002 violence. In May, shortly after the elections, federal security forces were sent across the state to protect Muslim riot survivors and key witnesses in riot cases.

Turkey. In June 2003, Parliament approved an amendment to the Act on Construction, replacing the word "mosques" with "houses of worship," which in theory removes a legal obstacle to the establishment of non-Muslim religious facilities. In December 2003, the Interior Ministry issued a circular summarizing the legal amendments and directing provincial governors to "facilitate" efforts by religious communities to open places of worship. In January, the Government abolished the Minorities Subcommittee, established by secret regulation in 1962 to monitor minorities as potential threats to the country, and replaced it with the Board to Assess Problems of Minorities. According to the Government, the Board will work to support the rights of non-Muslims. In March, authorities approved an application by a group of German-speaking Christians to establish a religious/charity association in Alanya, Antalya Province. In the past, authorities have routinely rejected such applications on the grounds that the Act on Associations prohibits associations based on religion. Members of the Christian community reported that the Government revised school textbooks in response to complaints about inaccurate, negative references to Christianity. They said the revised versions represent a significant improvement.