109 HRES 999 IH: Urging Turkey to respect the rights and U.S. House of Representatives 2006-09-12 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 999 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 12, 2006 Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Hinchey, Ms. Watson, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Lowey, and Mr. Baca) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Whereas Turkey began accession negotiations with the European Union on October 3, 2005; Whereas in 1993 the European Union defined the membership criteria for accession to the European Union at the Copenhagen European Council, obligating candidate countries to have achieved certain levels of reform, including stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, and respect for and protection of minorities; Whereas the Government of Turkey refuses to recognize the Ecumenical Patriarch’s international status; and Whereas the Government of Turkey has limited to Turkish nationals the candidates available to the Holy Synod for selection as the Ecumenical Patriarch and has refused to reopen the Theological School at Halki, thus impeding training for the clergy: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)calls on Turkey to continue to demonstrate its willingness to adopt and uphold European standards for the protection of human rights; (2)based on the ideals associated with the European Union and its member states, calls on Turkey to eliminate all forms of discrimination, particularly those based on race or religion, and immediately— (A)grant the Ecumenical Patriarch appropriate international recognition and ecclesiastic succession; (B)grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate the right to train clergy of all nationalities, not just Turkish nationals; and (C)respect property rights and human rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and (3)calls on Turkey to pledge to uphold and safeguard religious and human rights without compromise.