Bylaws

NAME AND HEADQUARTERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 1 - An association has been established under the name "Association of Protestant Churches." The headquarters of the Association is located in İzmir.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 2 – The purposes of the Association are as follows:

To be an organization for fellowship, representation, and solidarity among Protestant Christians throughout Turkey;
To foster an environment of unity and cooperation among churches grounded in love and respect;
To monitor and assess the legal status of Protestant churches under the laws of the Republic of Turkey;
To strive to meet the worship needs of all persons—whether of Turkish or foreign nationality—who belong to the Protestant faith of Christianity, as well as those who embrace the Christian faith without distinction of denomination;
To purchase all kinds of movable and immovable property in line with its purpose and to exercise full rights of disposition over them; and to hold the authority to establish, remove, and amend such rights;
To strive for the development of freedom of religion and belief in Turkey in line with universal human rights law;
To strive, from the perspective of advancing freedom of religion and belief, to reduce prejudice in society and to cultivate a culture of tolerance;
To explain and make known what Christianity is and is not to those who are interested and wish to learn;
To combat, through thought and action within legal frameworks, the legal and human rights violations committed against Christians;
Without distinction of language, religion, or race, to provide all kinds of material and moral assistance—in kind or in cash—to those in need, in times of disaster, war, and ordinary circumstances, in matters such as food, clothing, healthcare, education, fuel, rent, shelter, marriage, starting a business, and acquiring housing.

FIELD OF ACTIVITY AND ACTIVITIES OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 3 – In order to achieve its purpose, the Association may carry out the following activities:

In line with its purpose, to organize public forums, conferences, seminars, panels, symposia, Bible courses, and similar meetings and events of all kinds; to hold concerts; to open exhibitions; to produce publications of every kind (written, spoken, musical, visual, etc.); to organize competitions; to offer awards; and to hold celebrations;
To obtain all kinds of information, records, and document publications necessary to achieve its purpose; to establish a documentation center; to publish newspapers, magazines, and books in line with its aims in order to announce its work; to issue working and informational bulletins for distribution to its members; and to set up a website to promote the Association and its activities;
Where deemed necessary to achieve its purpose, to establish a foundation, to form a federation or join an existing federation; and, upon obtaining the necessary permission, to establish facilities that associations may set up with authorization;
To establish and operate economic, commercial, and industrial enterprises in order to secure the income needed to achieve the purposes set out in the bylaws;
In fields related to its purpose and not prohibited by law, to organize campaigns, joint projects, and meetings and to form platforms, whether on its own or together with other associations, foundations, or similar civil society and non-governmental organizations with which it decides to collaborate;
In fields related to its purpose and not prohibited by law, to engage in mutual assistance and cooperation with other public or private institutions and organizations at home and abroad;
To open representative offices within the country in order to carry out activities in line with the purposes set out in the bylaws;
To carry out international activities in line with the purposes of the bylaws; to open representative offices abroad; to establish associations or umbrella organizations abroad or to become a member of existing associations or organizations; and to carry out joint projects or engage in mutual assistance with such organizations on a project basis;
To attract new members and organize public meetings in line with the Association's purposes; and, in order to develop and maintain relations among its members, to organize dinners, holidays, concerts, balls, theater performances, exhibitions, sports, trips, and recreational activities, or to enable its members to benefit from such activities;
To collect donations from within the country and abroad in accordance with the Law on the Collection of Donations, the relevant legislation, and the provisions of these bylaws; and to accept gifts, conditional and unconditional donations, and bequests;
When deemed necessary, to employ church leaders, preachers, and other religious officials, as well as staff of all kinds, and to provide such persons with the training required for their duties;
To provide a better environment for fellowship, work, and reflection by organizing trips, recreational gatherings, and summer camps;
To rent, purchase, or construct land and premises that serve as, or are intended to become, places of worship (such as church buildings); and to furnish, maintain, and repair them;
To establish, furnish, and operate the social and cultural facilities needed for the benefit of members and members of the community and for the care of those in need;
To conduct studies and research on its purpose and areas of work, through working groups formed within the Association or through experts and advisors; and to conduct or commission research and publish reports in order to assess the situation of Christians in our country;
In cases where the legal and human rights of Christians are violated, to file lawsuits against such violations, to organize symposia, and to strive to raise public awareness;
Where deemed necessary to achieve its purpose, to make donations in kind and in cash to natural or legal persons;
To carry out other work as needed in relation to its purposes and areas of activity.

CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR MEMBERSHIP, RESIGNATION, AND EXPULSION

BECOMING A MEMBER

Article 4 – Membership is divided into two types: general assembly membership and honorary membership:

General assembly membership: Anyone who has the legal capacity to act, embraces the purposes of the Association, and possesses the qualifications useful for achieving those purposes may become a member. However, those who are legally barred from membership may not become members.

Those wishing to join the Association apply to the Association's headquarters with the written reference of two members, complete the "Membership Application" form, and submit it to the Association Presidency. The Board of Directors decides on the application—either accepting it or rejecting the request—within 30 days at the latest. No justification is required in the event of rejection.

Honorary membership: By decision of the Board of Directors, the title of Honorary Member may be granted to persons who have served, or are believed will serve, the Association's purposes, as well as to persons who have rendered services to humanity—whether at home or abroad—in the fields of science, thought, the arts, human rights, and freedom of belief. Honorary membership takes effect once the person deemed suitable accepts it. Honorary members have no voting rights in the general assembly. Honorary members may, if they wish, make donations and pay dues to the Association.

RESIGNATION FROM MEMBERSHIP

Article 5 – No one may be compelled to remain a member of the Association; every member has the full right to resign. The resignation is completed the moment the member's letter of resignation reaches the Board of Directors.

EXPULSION FROM MEMBERSHIP

Article 6 – Circumstances requiring expulsion from membership of the Association:

Acting in violation of the Association's bylaws;
Persistently avoiding assigned duties;
Failing to pay membership dues despite warnings;
Failing to comply with decisions made by the Association's organs;
Causing disorder within the Association and persistent discord among members, or engaging in activities destructive and divisive to the Association;
Engaging in words or activities that demean the Christianity,
Having lost the conditions for membership.

RIGHTS OF MEMBERS

Article 7 – Members of the Association have equal rights. Each member has one vote in the general assembly. A member must cast their vote in person.

ORGANS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 8 – The organs of the Association are as follows:

a) The General Assembly,
b) The Board of Directors,
c) The Board of Auditors.

FORMATION AND MEETING SCHEDULE OF THE ASSOCIATION'S GENERAL ASSEMBLY

FORMATION

Article 9 – The general assembly consists of the members who, under the Association's bylaws, have the right to participate in it.

MEETING SCHEDULE

Article 10 – The general assembly meets once every three (3) years in June, on the day, at the place, and at the time determined by the Board of Directors. Apart from ordinary meetings, the general assembly convenes for an extraordinary meeting whenever the Board of Directors or the Board of Auditors deems it necessary, or upon the written request of one-fifth of the Association's members. The general assembly is convened by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors fails to convene the general assembly within one month upon the written request of the Board of Auditors or of one-fifth of the members, the magistrate—upon the application of the Board of Auditors or of one of the members requesting the meeting—holds a hearing and appoints a panel of three members from among the Association's members to convene the general assembly.

NOTICE PROCEDURE

Article 11 The Board of Directors draws up the list of members entitled to participate in the general assembly under the Association's bylaws. Members entitled to participate are called to the meeting at least fifteen days in advance, by announcing the day, time, place, and agenda in a newspaper or by notifying them in writing or by e-mail. This notice also states the day, time, and place of the second meeting in the event that the first cannot be held due to lack of a quorum. The interval between the first and second meetings may not be less than seven days or more than sixty days.

If the meeting is postponed for a reason other than lack of a quorum, this is announced to the members—together with the reasons for postponement—in accordance with the notice procedure used for the first meeting. The second meeting must be held within six months at the latest from the date of postponement. Members are again called to the second meeting in accordance with the principles set out in the first paragraph.

A general assembly meeting may not be postponed more than once.

MEETING PLACE

Article 12 – General assembly meetings are held at the location of the Association's headquarters or at another place deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

QUORUM

Article 13 – The general assembly convenes with the participation of an absolute majority of the members entitled to attend; in the case of amendments to the bylaws or dissolution of the Association, with the participation of two-thirds of them. If the meeting is postponed due to lack of a quorum, no quorum is required at the second meeting. However, the number of members attending this second meeting may not be less than twice the total number of members of the Association's board of directors and board of auditors.

CONDUCT OF THE MEETING

Article 14 – After the general assembly meeting is opened, a chairperson, a sufficient number of deputy chairpersons, and a secretary are elected to conduct the meeting.

MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING

Article 15 – Only the items on the agenda are discussed at the general assembly meeting. However, matters that at least one-tenth of the members present request to be discussed must be added to the agenda.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; PROCEDURES FOR VOTING AND DECISION-MAKING

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 16 – The following matters are discussed and decided by the general assembly:

Election of the Association's organs;
Amendment of the Association's bylaws;
Dissolution of the Association;
Discussion of the reports of the Board of Directors and the Board of Auditors, and the discharge of the Board of Directors;
Discussion of the budget prepared by the Board of Directors and its adoption as is or with amendments;
Examination and resolution of objections raised against decisions of the Board of Directors regarding the rejection of membership or expulsion from membership;
Authorizing the Board of Directors to purchase the immovable property needed by the Association or to sell existing immovable property;
Reviewing the regulations to be prepared by the Board of Directors concerning the Association's activities and approving them as is or with amendments;
Reviewing and deciding on other proposals presented by the Board of Directors;
Carrying out the other duties currently designated to be performed by the general assembly;
The general assembly elects the Association's organs and handles matters not assigned to any other organ of the Association;
The general assembly oversees the Association's other organs and may remove them from office at any time for just cause;
Determining the salaries, as well as all kinds of allowances, travel expenses, and compensation, to be paid to the non-public-official chairpersons and members of the Association's boards, and the daily allowances and travel expenses to be paid to members assigned to the Association's services.

VOTING AND DECISION-MAKING PROCEDURES

Article 17 – Unless decided otherwise, in the general assembly the elections of the members of the board of directors and the board of auditors are held by secret ballot, while decisions on other matters are taken by open vote. Secret votes are those collected by having members cast, into an empty container, the ballots or voting slips stamped by the chair of the meeting after the members have completed the necessary procedure; the votes are then counted openly after voting ends.

In open voting, the method specified by the chair of the general assembly is applied.

Decisions of the general assembly are taken by an absolute majority of the members attending the meeting. However, decisions to amend the bylaws and to dissolve the Association are taken by a two-thirds majority of the members attending the meeting.

DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE BOARD OF AUDITORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Article 18 – The board of directors is elected by the general assembly by secret ballot, comprising five principal members and an equal number of substitute members. In the event of a vacancy among the principal members, substitute members must be called to duty.

The board of directors performs the following:

To represent the Association, or to grant authority in this regard to one or more of its own members;
To carry out transactions relating to the Association's income and expenditure accounts, and to prepare the budget for the coming period and submit it to the general assembly;
To prepare regulations concerning the Association's activities and submit them for the approval of the general assembly;
With the authorization of the general assembly, to purchase immovable property, to sell the Association's movable and immovable property, to construct buildings or facilities, and to purchase government bonds, treasury bills, or any kind of bond or share;
To enter into lease agreements and to establish pledges, mortgages, or rights in rem in favor of the Association;
To take and implement all kinds of decisions to achieve the Association's purposes;
To decide on the admission of members to, or their expulsion from, the Association.

FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS

Article 19 – If, after substitute members have been brought in to fill vacancies, the number of board of directors members falls below half the total number of members, the general assembly is convened within one month by the existing board members or by the board of auditors. If no such call is made, the magistrate, upon the request of one of the members, appoints three members to convene the general assembly.

BOARD OF AUDITORS

Article 20 – The board of auditors is elected by the general assembly, comprising three principal and three substitute members.

Duties of the Board of Auditors:

To examine and audit, at least once a year and at unspecified times, all of the Association's accounts and transactions, the transactions and activities of the board of directors, and the Association's financial situation;
To submit the reports prepared as a result of the audit to the board of directors, and to submit the annual reports prepared before the general assembly meeting to the general assembly;
To convene the general assembly when necessary.

BORROWING PROCEDURES OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 21 – The Association may borrow by decision of the Board of Directors. The General Assembly has the right to limit or expand the Board of Directors' borrowing authority. The Association's General Assembly or Board of Directors must comply with the amounts and methods limited by the relevant laws and regulations.

NOTIFICATION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THOSE ELECTED TO THE ORGANS

Article 22 – Within thirty days following the election held by the general assembly, the chair of the board of directors notifies, in writing, the highest local administrative authority of the place where the Association's headquarters is located of the first and last names, fathers' names, places and dates of birth, occupations, and residences of the principal and substitute members elected to the board of directors, the board of auditors, and the Association's other organs.

DETERMINATION OF THE ENTRANCE AND ANNUAL DUES TO BE PAID BY MEMBERS

Article 23 – Membership dues:

An entrance fee of 100 TL and annual dues of 200 TL are collected from members;
The general assembly is authorized to increase or decrease the amount of the dues.

INCOME OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 24 – The Association's sources of income:

Membership dues and entrance fees;
Income from activities carried out by the Association, such as publications, events, lotteries, balls, entertainment, performances, concerts, sports competitions, and conferences;
Income derived from the Association's assets;
Donations and aid to be collected in accordance with the legislation on the collection of donations (the Association may receive aid from natural and legal persons or other organizations in foreign countries in accordance with the procedures and principles set out in the law);
Earnings from the commercial activities the Association undertakes in order to secure the income it needs to achieve its purpose;
Other income.

BOOKS AND RECORDS

Article 25 – The Association keeps the following books as specified by law and regulation:

a) Books to be kept on an operating-account basis:

Resolution Book: Decisions of the board of directors are written in this book in order of date and number, and the decisions are signed by the members attending the meeting.

Member Registry Book: The identity information of those who join the Association, and their dates of admission and departure, are recorded in this book. The entrance fees and annual dues paid by members may be recorded in this book.

Document Registry Book: Incoming and outgoing documents are recorded in this book with their date and sequence number. The originals of incoming documents and copies of outgoing documents are filed. Documents received or sent by e-mail are kept by printing them out.

Fixed Assets Book: The acquisition date and manner of the Association's fixed assets, the places where they are used or assigned, and the removal from the records of those whose useful life has expired, are recorded in this book.

Operating Account Book: The income received and expenditures made on behalf of the Association are recorded clearly and regularly in this book.

Receipt Registry Book: The series and sequence numbers of receipts, the names, surnames, and signatures of those who receive and return these documents, and the dates on which they were received and returned, are recorded in this book.

b) Books to be kept on a balance-sheet basis:

Associations that keep their books on a balance-sheet basis also keep the books listed in subparagraphs 1, 2, 3, and 6 of paragraph (a).

Journal, General Ledger, and Inventory Book: The manner of keeping these books and the form of records are carried out in accordance with the Tax Procedure Law and the General Communiqués on Accounting System Implementation issued under the authority granted to the Ministry of Finance by that Law.

The books listed in this article must be certified by a notary or by the Directorate of Associations.

INTERNAL AUDIT METHODS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 26 – Internal audit in the Association may be carried out by the general assembly, the board of directors, or the board of auditors, and an audit may also be conducted by independent auditing firms. The fact that an audit has been carried out by the general assembly, the board of directors, or independent auditing firms does not remove the obligation of the board of auditors.

An audit of the Association is carried out by the board of auditors at least once a year. The general assembly or the board of directors may conduct an audit when deemed necessary, or may have an audit conducted by independent auditing firms.

HOW THE BYLAWS ARE TO BE AMENDED

Article 27 – The bylaws may be amended by decision of the general assembly.

A two-thirds majority of the members entitled to participate in the general assembly is required to amend the bylaws. If the meeting is postponed due to lack of a quorum, no quorum is required at the second meeting. However, the number of members attending this meeting may not be less than twice the total number of members of the board of directors and the board of auditors.

The decision majority required to amend the bylaws is two-thirds of the votes of the members who attend the meeting and are entitled to vote. The vote on amending the bylaws at the general assembly is held openly.

METHOD OF LIQUIDATING ASSETS IN THE EVENT OF THE ASSOCIATION'S DISSOLUTION

Article 28 – The general assembly may decide to dissolve the Association at any time.

For the matter of dissolution to be discussed at the general assembly, a two-thirds majority of the members entitled to participate is required. If the meeting is postponed due to lack of a quorum, no quorum is required at the second meeting. However, the number of members attending this meeting may not be less than twice the total number of members of the board of directors and the board of auditors.

The decision majority required to adopt a dissolution decision is two-thirds of the votes of the members who attend the meeting and are entitled to vote. The vote on dissolution at the general assembly is held openly.

LIQUIDATION PROCEEDINGS

When a dissolution decision is made by the general assembly, the liquidation of the Association's money, property, and rights is carried out by a liquidation committee composed of the members of the last board of directors. These proceedings begin on the date the dissolution decision is taken or the date on which automatic termination becomes final. Throughout the liquidation period, the phrase "Association of Protestant Churches in Liquidation" is used in all transactions in the Association's name.

The liquidation committee is responsible and authorized to complete, from beginning to end, the liquidation of the Association's money, property, and rights in accordance with the legislation. This committee first examines the Association's accounts. During the examination, the Association's books, receipts, expenditure documents, title deeds, bank records, and other documents are identified, and its assets and liabilities are recorded in a report. During the proceedings, the Association's creditors are notified, and any property is converted into cash and paid to the creditors. If the Association is a creditor, its receivables are collected. After the receivables are collected and the debts are paid, all remaining money, property, and rights are transferred to the place determined by the general assembly. If no place of transfer has been determined, they are transferred to the association in the province where the Association is located that is closest to its purpose and has the most members on the date of dissolution.

All transactions relating to the liquidation are shown in the liquidation report, and the liquidation proceedings are completed within three months, except for additional periods granted by the local civil administrative authorities on justified grounds.

Following the completion of the liquidation and transfer of the Association's money, property, and rights, the liquidation committee must notify, within seven days and in writing, the local civil administrative authority of the place where the Association's headquarters is located, and must attach the liquidation report to this notice.

The members of the last board of directors, in their capacity as the liquidation committee, are responsible for keeping the Association's books and documents. This duty may also be assigned to a member of the board of directors. The retention period for these books and documents is five years.

ABSENCE OF PROVISIONS

Article 29 – In matters not covered by the Association's bylaws, the provisions of the Law on Associations No. 5253 apply; and in matters not covered by that law, the provisions of the Turkish Civil Code No. 4721 apply.

FOUNDING MEMBERS

Article 30 – The names, surnames, and titles of the Association's founding members are shown below.

PRESIDENT
1) H. Zekai Tanyar

VICE PRESIDENT
2) A. Hüsnü Levent Kınran

MEMBERS
3) Engin Yıldırım
4) Orhan Özçelik
5) Ahmet Güvener
6) Daniel Günay
7) Umut Şahin

These bylaws consist of 30 (thirty) articles.