[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3278-S3279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
______
SENATE RESOLUTION 196--CALLING UPON THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY TO
FACILITATE THE REOPENING OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE'S THEOLOGICAL
SCHOOL OF HALKI WITHOUT CONDITION OF FURTHER DELAY
Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Reid of Nevada, Mrs. Shaheen,
Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 196
Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate is an institution with
a history spanning 17 centuries, serving as the center of the
Orthodox Christian Church throughout the world;
Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate sits at the crossroads
of East and West, offering a unique perspective on the
religions and cultures of the world;
Whereas the title of Ecumenical Patriarch was formally
accorded to the Archbishop of Constantinople by a synod
convened in Constantinople during the sixth century;
Whereas, since November 1991, His All Holiness, Bartholomew
I, has served as Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and
Ecumenical Patriarch;
Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal in 1997, in recognition of his
outstanding and enduring contributions toward religious
understanding and peace;
Whereas, during the 110th Congress, 75 Senators and the
overwhelming majority of members of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives wrote to President
George W. Bush and the Prime Minister of Turkey to express
congressional concern, which continues today, regarding the
absence of religious freedom for Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I in the areas of church-controlled Patriarchal
succession, the confiscation of the vast majority of
Patriarchal properties, recognition of the international
Ecumenicity of the Patriarchate, and the reopening of the
Theological School of Halki;
Whereas the Theological School of Halki, founded in 1844
and located outside Istanbul, Turkey, served as the principal
seminary for the Ecumenical Patriarchate until its forcible
closure by the Turkish authorities in 1971;
Whereas the alumni of this preeminent educational
institution include numerous prominent Orthodox scholars,
theologians, priests, bishops, and patriarchs, including
Bartholomew I;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey has been a participating
state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) since signing the Helsinki Final Act in 1975;
Whereas in 1989, the OSCE participating states adopted the
Vienna Concluding Document, committing to respect the right
of religious communities to provide ``training of religious
personnel in appropriate institutions'';
Whereas the continued closure of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki has been an
ongoing issue of concern for the American people and the
United States Congress and has been repeatedly raised by
members of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe and by United States delegations to the OSCE's annual
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting;
Whereas, in his address to the Grand National Assembly of
Turkey on April 6, 2009, President Barack Obama said,
``Freedom of religion and expression lead to a strong and
vibrant civil society that only strengthens the state, which
is why steps like reopening Halki Seminary will send such an
important signal inside Turkey and beyond.'';
Whereas, in a welcomed development, the Prime Minister of
Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with the Ecumenical
Patriarch on August 15, 2009, and, in an address to a wider
gathering of minority religious leaders that day, concluded
by stating, ``We should not be of those who gather, talk, and
disperse. A result should come out of this.'';
Whereas, during his visit to the United States in November
2009, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I raised the issue of
the continued closure of the Theological School of Halki with
President Obama, congressional leaders, and others;
Whereas, in a welcome development, for the first time since
1922, the Government of Turkey in August 2010 allowed the
liturgical celebration by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the
historic Sumela Monastery; and
Whereas, following a unanimous decision by the European
Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in 2010, ruling that
Turkey return the former Greek Orphanage on Buyukada Island
to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the eve of the feast day
of St.
[[Page S3279]]
Andrew observed on November 30, the Government of Turkey
provided lawyers representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate
with the formal property title for the confiscated building:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) welcomes the historic meeting between Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I;
(2) welcomes the positive gestures by the Government of
Turkey, including allowing allowed the liturgical celebration
by the Ecumenical Patriarch at the historic Sumela Monastery
and the return of the former Greek Orphanage on Buyukada
Island to the Ecumenical Patriarchate;
(3) urges the Government of Turkey to facilitate the
reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School
of Halki without condition or further delay; and
(4) urges the Government of Turkey to address other
longstanding concerns relating to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined today by
Senators Snowe, Reid, Shaheen, Whitehouse, and Menendez in introducing
a resolution calling upon the government of Turkey to facilitate the
reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki
without condition or further delay.
I was privileged to again meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch,
Bartholomew I, during his 2009 visit to the United States. His
impassioned request to those of us gathered was for our support for the
reopening of the Theological School of Halki, forcibly closed by the
Turkish authorities in 1971. In this year marking the 40th anniversary
of that tragic action, I urge the Turkish leadership to reverse this
injustice and allow this unique religious institution to reopen
Founded in 1844, the Theological School of Halki, located outside
modern-day Istanbul, served as the principal seminary of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate until its forced closure. Counted among alumni of this
preeminent educational institution are numerous prominent Orthodox
scholars, theologians, priests, and bishops as well as patriarchs,
including Bartholomew I. Many of these scholars and theologians have
served as faculty at other institutions serving Orthodox communities
around the world.
Past indications by the Turkish authorities of pending action to
reopen the seminary have, regrettably, failed to materialize. Turkey's
Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with the Ecumenical Patriarch
in August 2009. In an address to a wider gathering of minority
religious leaders that day, Erdogan concluded by stating, ``We should
not be of those who gather, talk and disperse. A result should come out
of this.'' I could not agree more with the sentiment. But resolution of
this longstanding matter requires resolve, not rhetoric.
In a positive development last August, the authorities in Ankara, for
the first time since 1922, permitted a liturgical celebration to take
place at the historic Sumela Monastery. The Ecumenical Patriarch
presided at that service, attended by pilgrims and religious leaders
from several countries, including Greece and Russia. Last November, a
Turkish court ordered the Buyukada orphanage to be returned to
Ecumenical Patriarchate and the transfer of the property has been
completed.
As one who has followed issues surrounding the Ecumenical
Patriarchate with interest for many years, I welcome these positive
developments. My hope is that they will lead to the return of scores of
other church properties seized by the government. In 2005, the Helsinki
Commission, which I co-chair, convened a briefing, ``The Greek Orthodox
Church in Turkey: A Victim of Systematic Expropriation.'' The
Commission has consistently raised the issue of the Theological School
for well over a decade and will continue to closely monitor related
developments.
The State Department's 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom
is a reminder of the challenges faced by Orthodox and other minority
religious communities in Turkey. I urge the Turkish Prime Minister to
ensure respect for the rights of individuals from these groups to
freely profess and practice their religion or beliefs, in keeping with
Turkey's obligations as an OSCE participating State.
The 1989 OSCE Vienna Concluding Document affirmed the right of
religious communities to provide ``training of religious personnel in
appropriate institutions.'' The Theological School of Halki served that
function for over a century until its forced closure four decades ago.
The time has come to allow the reopening of this unique institution
without further delay.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
____________________