Congressional Record, Volume 157 Issue 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)

[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8873-H8878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

{time} 2200
URGING TURKEY TO SAFEGUARD ITS CHRISTIAN HERITAGE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 306) urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its
Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 306

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that the Secretary of State, in all official
contacts with Turkish leaders and other Turkish officials,
should emphasize that Turkey should--
(1) end all forms of religious discrimination;
(2) allow the rightful church and lay owners of Christian
church properties, without hindrance or restriction, to
organize and administer prayer services, religious education,
clerical training, appointments, and succession, religious
community gatherings, social services, including ministry to
the needs of the poor and infirm, and other religious
activities;
(3) return to their rightful owners all Christian churches
and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals,
monuments, relics, holy sites, and other religious
properties, including movable properties, such as artwork,
manuscripts, vestments, vessels, and other artifacts; and
(4) allow the rightful Christian church and lay owners of
Christian church properties, without hindrance or
restriction, to preserve, reconstruct, and repair, as they
see fit, all Christian churches and other places of worship,
monasteries, schools, hospitals, monuments, relics, holy
sites, and other religious properties within Turkey.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman)
each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the resolution and to
claim time in opposition to the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from California (Mr.
Berman) favor the motion?
Mr. BERMAN. I do.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. On that basis the gentleman from Kentucky
will control 20 minutes in opposition.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield half of my time to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Berman) and ask unanimous consent that he may be able
to control that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.

General Leave

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous material on this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?

[[Page H8874]]

There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me begin by quoting Thomas Jefferson. He said, ``In our early
struggles for liberty, religious freedom could not fail to become a
primary object.''
Jefferson was a very smart man, and he understood that the core
foundation of democracy relied on individual differences and opinions
without fear of intimidation. This concept is one that we, as
Americans, have benefited from since our founding. Religious freedom
has played an integral part of our continued success as a country. Very
sadly, this is a freedom that so many countries like Turkey still
struggle to realize.
Today we are considering House Resolution 306, which I authored with
Ranking Member Howard Berman, urging the Republic of Turkey to
safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church
properties to their rightful owners.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
has had to put Turkey on its watch list for 3 straight years now. The
commission reports that the Turkish Government's formal, longstanding
efforts to control religion by imposing suffocating regulations and by
denying full legal status to religious institutions results in serious
religious freedom violations. The government has failed to take
decisive action to correct the climate of impunity against religious
minorities and to make the necessary institutional reforms to reverse
these conditions. Now, those are the words of the commission, itself,
on this subject.
Religious tolerance has long been a problem for Turkey. Turkey has
yet to remedy the desecration of the religious properties of over 2
million Armenians and Greeks and Assyrians and Syriacs over the last
100 years. Until these obligations are fulfilled, religious freedom
will remain illusive and, frankly, relations with the United States
will suffer. Prime Minister Erdogan recently issued a decree to return
confiscated church properties that were taken after 1936, but the
majority of confiscated religious properties, of course, were taken
prior to 1936.
We are sending a signal today that Turkey should reassess the cutoff
date, and I would suggest that outside pressure and actions like we are
taking here today and reports like that of the religious commission
have helped with what progress we have seen to date.
The United States has a vested interest to advance religious freedom.
Turkey's claims of being a secular country are not enough in dealing
with the day-to-day discriminatory harassment that religious minorities
face there, for actions speak louder than words. There are very few
religious minorities in Turkey. These are men and women struggling to
practice their faiths, and they need added protection.
So this resolution urges Turkey to end all forms of religious
discrimination, to allow rightful churches to organize and train and
teach and practice religious activities without hindrance or
restriction, and to return church properties and relics to their
rightful owners--whether they be places of worship or monasteries or
schools or hospitals or holy sites or other artifacts. Lastly, this
resolution allows religious minority groups to own religious properties
so that they can preserve and reconstruct and repair religious
properties as they see fit.
Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, so I urge the passage
of House Resolution 306, which urges the Republic of Turkey to
safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church
properties.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I have read H. Res. 306. Certainly, there is nothing in the language
of this resolution that very many people would oppose. It basically
says that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the
Secretary of State, in all official contacts with Turkish leaders and
other Turkish officials, should emphasize that Turkey should end all
forms of religious discrimination. It then goes on from there.
Now, this resolution, in a way, reminds me of asking one, Do you
still beat your children? Because whatever one answers, one is going to
be condemned. So the mere fact that the resolution is being introduced
would leave an objective observer with the opinion that religious
freedom is being systematically denied in Turkey.
Let's just look at a few of the facts. On September 13, 2011, during
a briefing on the release of the U.S. Department of State's
International Religious Freedom report, Secretary Clinton praised
Turkey's recent steps in enhancing religious freedom. We've also seen
Turkey take serious steps in improving the climate for religious
tolerance. The Turkish Government issued a decree in August that
invited non-Muslims to reclaim churches and synagogues that were
confiscated 75 years ago.
This was the language of Secretary Clinton: I applaud Prime Minister
Erdogan's very important commitment to doing so.
In its 13th annual Report on International Religious Freedom, the
U.S. Department of State also underscored Turkey's recent efforts.
During the reporting period, the government took steps to improve
religious freedom. Notably, the government permitted religious services
to be held annually at historic Christian sites that had been turned
into State museums after decades of disuse.
These positive statements have shown that Turkey has good intentions
in pursuing religious freedom; and I might say that, last year, the
Turkish Prime Minister issued a circular that emphasized the rights of
all Turkish people, Muslim and non-Muslim, to enjoy their religious
cultures and identities. Prime Minister Erdogan has urged all
government institutions to act in accordance with this message.
So I think it's quite clear that, while this resolution has no
binding legal effect and while it has no authority over Turkey
whatsoever, we can see that Turkey is taking specific steps to ensure
religious freedom in its country and that it's doing so without any
prodding from the U.S.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 306, and
I yield 3 minutes to one who has been a leader in this effort for a
very long time, my colleague and neighbor from California (Mr. Schiff).
Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding and
for his leadership on this important issue.
From the spring of 1915 and continuing for the next 8 years, the
forces of the Ottoman Empire--police and military--engaged in a
genocide of the Armenian people living within the borders of their
dying empire.
When it was over, more than 1.5 million men, women, and children had
been killed in the first genocide of the 20th century. They were
beaten, shot, marched to their deaths through scorching deserts or
across frigid mountains and were left where they fell. Families and
entire communities were destroyed as the Ottomans did everything in
their power to make a people disappear.

{time} 2210

But the physical near-annihilation of the Armenian people was not
enough to satisfy the Turks' desire to wreak vengeance on Armenia,
which was the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its
official religion in AD 301. Their campaign against the Armenians was
broader and was aimed at destroying not only the Armenian people but
also their history, their culture, and their faith.
When Ottoman forces began to massacre their Armenian neighbors 95
years ago, there were nearly 2,000 Armenian churches in what is now
Turkey. Fewer than 100 remain standing and fully functioning today. One
of the world's oldest Christian communities has, in significant part,
disappeared from its ancestral homeland.
While the Armenian genocide stands as a singular event, the
persecution of the Armenians has continued and much of it centers on
the Armenians' status as a Christian minority in an overwhelmingly
Muslim country, where discriminatory laws are used to confiscate church
property and prevent free worship. And other Christian communities,
especially the Greek Orthodox, have also been the victims of Turkish
intolerance.
In northern Cyprus, which was invaded by the Turkish army in 1974,
churches have been left to rot, cemeteries have been desecrated or
fallen

[[Page H8875]]

into disrepair, and priests are forbidden from accessing the churches
they prayed in as children.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom noted in its 2011 report, ``The Turkish Government continues to
impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby
threatening the continued vitality and survival of minority religious
communities in Turkey.''
Ours is a Nation that has prized freedom of religion. For more than
two centuries, we have stood for tolerance of other faiths. And
American diplomats, Members of Congress, and Presidents have
consistently pressed other governments to respect and protect their
minorities. This resolution is in the finest tradition of advocacy for
those whose voices have been silenced. And I am proud to be an original
cosponsor and to join my colleagues, especially the gentlemen from
California, Mr. Royce and Mr. Berman, the ranking member of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, a friend who has been a leader on these issues
throughout his years of service in the House. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. WHITFIELD. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2\1/2\ minutes.
The Christian communities of Turkey, once populous and prosperous,
have now for many decades been victims of discrimination. The result
has been a drastic decline in the Christian population. Whereas well
over 2 million Christians lived in Anatolia a century ago, today there
are only a few thousand, less than 1 percent of Turkey's population.
Although Christians clearly constitute no threat to the majority, the
various Christian communities remain the victims of unceasing
discrimination. Their churches have been desecrated, their properties
confiscated, and they are denied the right to practice their religion
as they see fit or to train their clergy. Through this resolution, we
are asking that Turkey rectify this terrible situation.
Much of the worst damage to--and confiscation of--Christian
properties was done in the earlier decades of the Turkish Republic, but
it continues to some extent today. Some 3 months after the introduction
of this resolution in June, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan responded
with a decree that would return a small percentage of the property
confiscated from religious minorities as well as provide compensation
for property that was seized and later sold. This is too little and too
late. It doesn't even begin to make up for the years of loss and the
damaging impact on the minority communities, but it does appear to be a
step in the right direction. We will watch its implementation closely.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Government must also address the many other
forms of discrimination that Christians in Turkey endure. Every church
in Turkey suffers petty harassment, at a minimum, and is forced to
apply to central authorities for authorization to do any type of
repairs or construction, requests that often linger for months and
years without government action. Moreover, Turkey recognizes certain
Christian groups as legitimate but not others. If you belong to one of
the unauthorized groups, such as Evangelicals, you can't even build a
church.
This resolution calls on Turkey to make good on all past
transgressions and allow true freedom of religion--to achieve the
standards of democratic behavior to which it says, and to which I
believe, it aspires. We want Turkey to allow its Christian citizens to
worship exactly as they want and to allow them to train their clergy
exactly as they want.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.
I might say that Turkey certainly has been a valuable ally of the
United States for many years. As we all know, it is the only Muslim
nation in NATO. It has been a vital partner to the United States in the
war on terror in both Iraq and in Afghanistan. And just recently,
Turkey agreed to host a NATO radar defense system directed toward Iran.
Turkey also is becoming an increasingly important commercial partner.
But I wanted to also point out, about 3 years ago, without any input
from the U.S. Congress, the Secretary of State, or anyone else in the
Federal Government, the director of religious affairs in Turkey on his
own initiation had one of his religious scholars of the Muslim faith
spend a semester at Wesley Theological Seminary here in Washington,
D.C. During that semester, there was a dialogue between members of the
Christian faith and members of the Muslim faith. And during that time,
there was not any finger-pointing. There was no accusing the other side
of being mean-spirited or anything else, but it was simply an exchange
of ideas. That was at the initiative of the directorate of religious
affairs in Turkey.
I might also point out that in October, the archbishop of the
Armenian Orthodox Church re-consecrated St. Giragos, an Armenian church
near Lake Van in Turkey. That church has recently been renovated.
I would also say that on November 11, 2010, Turkish authorities
returned a former orphanage on Princess Island to the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate following a decision by the European Court on Human
Rights. On this occasion, the attorney representing the Patriarchate
declared, ``This marks a first in Europe. Turkey became the first
country to implement a decision of the ECHR by returning the property.
This should be an example for other countries.''
So I think it's very clear that Turkey is moving in the right
direction. They do not need to be condemned, in my view. They are a
vital ally of the U.S.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Sherman).
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add an additional 30 seconds
to the gentleman from California from my allotted time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is recognized
for 2\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. SHERMAN. Thank you.
The adoption of H. Res. 306 would add the powerful voice of the
United States Congress to the defense of religious freedom for
Christians in present-day Turkey and reinforce the traditional
leadership of Congress in defending freedom of faith around the world.
I want to identify myself with the comments of the gentleman from
California (Mr. Schiff) on putting this resolution in context by noting
the Armenian genocide and how that sets the stage for everything we're
talking about here.

{time} 2220

H. Res. 306 is urgently needed to address the destruction of
Christian religious heritage as a result of the Turkish Government's
theft, desecration and disregard of ancient Christian sites and
churches, many of them holding great significance to Christian
heritage.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
raises the following alarm in its 2001 report: ``The Turkish Government
continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of religion or
belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and survival of
minority religious communities in Turkey.''
Churches in Turkey have been desecrated. The adoption of H. Res. 306
would support the Christian communities within Turkey that remain
vulnerable and are forced to endure restrictions on their right to
practice their faith in freedom. For example, and this is just one
example, of the over 2,000 Armenian churches that existed in the early
1900s, less than 100 remain standing and fully functioning today.
This resolution is supported by the co-chairs of the Armenian,
Hellenic, and Human Rights Caucuses. The U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom has for 3 years straight placed Turkey
on its watch list.
In 2009, Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Christian Orthodox Patriarch
of Constantinople, appeared on CBS's ``60 Minutes'' and reported that
Turkey's Christians were second-class citizens and that he personally
felt ``crucified'' by a state that wanted his church to die out.
Church property is routinely confiscated through discriminatory laws.
The United States Commission on Religious Freedom reported that over
the

[[Page H8876]]

previous 5 decades, the Turkish state has, using convoluted regulations
and undemocratic laws, confiscated hundreds of religious minority
properties, primarily those belonging to the Greek Orthodox community,
as well as the Armenian Orthodox, Catholics, and Jews.
It is time to add the voice of the American Congress in an effort to
make sure that Turkey meets its international responsibilities.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I may make one other comment about Turkey. We all know that with the
Arab Spring and the movement toward more free governments in the Middle
East, that Prime Minister Erdogan has been one of the real leaders. He
has spoken up against Syria. He has spoken up against Egypt. He has
spoken against Tunisia and other countries and has been a real leader
in trying to bring about a measure of freedom in that area.
I might also say that the time period that has been discussed
earlier, about the early 1900s, of course during World War I when a lot
of these things took place, the Ottoman Empire was fighting for its
existence at that time. There were a lot of atrocities that took place
on both sides.
But as I said, this resolution, there is certainly not anything in
this resolution for anyone to oppose; but I think we should recognize
that Turkey is making great strides, that they are returning
properties, that they are taking a step, as has been pointed out by
Secretary of State Clinton and by the religious watch organizations and
others.
Mr. Berman had requested that I yield some time, and I would be happy
to yield time.
Mr. BERMAN. I would be very grateful if the gentleman would yield 2
minutes to my friend from New York, a distinguished member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel.
Mr. WHITFIELD. I would be happy to yield.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York is recognized
for 2 minutes
Mr. ENGEL. I thank the gentleman from California and also the
gentleman from Kentucky for yielding to me.
I rise in support of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I have become increasingly concerned with the direction
of Turkey in the past few years. It has elected an Islamist government
which has pushed the country toward Iran and into conflict with Israel.
While I am relieved that Ankara is now taking a strong stand against
the repression in Syria, finally, much needs to change in Turkey. In
particular, Turkey, which has such a profound connection with the birth
and growth of Christianity, has today expropriated church properties,
harassed worshipers, and refused to grant full legal status to some
Christian groups.
In fact, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
placed Turkey on its watch list for the third straight year, and
concluded that ``the Turkish Government continues to impose serious
limitations on freedom of religion or belief, thereby threatening the
continued vitality and survival of religious communities in Turkey.''
I, therefore, rise in strong support of H. Res. 306, which urges
Turkey to return stolen Christian churches to the Armenian, Greek,
Assyrian and Syriac communities and to end discrimination against
surviving Christians.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the cochair of the Armenian Caucus.
Mr. PALLONE. Thank you, Mr. Berman.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of H. Res. 306, urging the
Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return
confiscated church properties. As an original cosponsor of this
resolution, I believe that its adoption is critically important to
showing that the U.S. Congress will not remain silent while countries
such as Turkey violate basic religious freedoms.
This resolution is needed because the sad reality is that minority
religious communities in Turkey daily face oppressive policies
propagated by the Turkish Government. The U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom has found that the ``Turkish
Government's formal, long-standing efforts to control religion by
imposing suffocating regulations and by denying full legal status to
religious institutions results in serious religious freedom
violations.'' The commission has recommended that the U.S. urge Turkey
to comply with its international commitments regarding freedom of
religion or belief, and that is exactly what this resolution does.

Now, many within Turkey today and many more have fled religious
persecution over the past century, knowing the frightening consequences
that religious persecution has had on Christians and their churches.
Each year the Armenian Issues Caucus, which I cochair, gathers to
commemorate the Armenian genocide. Over a million Armenians were killed
in the genocide over 90 years ago, but Armenians in Turkey and their
churches and landmarks and cemeteries continue to be targets for
Turkish persecution.
I wanted to mention to my colleague, and I respect my colleague from
Kentucky a great deal, but the fact of the matter is that Turkey has
never admitted that the genocide has occurred. You mentioned that
during World War I there were problems on both sides. But the fact of
the matter is that over 1 million Armenians were massacred and their
churches and everything continue to be targets today.
The resolution further calls on Turkey to stop its oppressive
policies towards the education of Greek priests and its overt attempts
to pressure the Ecumenical Patriarchate to leave his home country. Can
you imagine, they're asking the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church
to leave Turkey where he and the Patriarchate have been for, I don't
know, 2,000 years.
So I really believe if you believe we should have freedom to practice
your religion without interference of oppressive governments, then you
should vote ``yes'' on this resolution. The fact of the matter is that
Turkey continues to do all of these things. The suggestion I know my
colleague from Kentucky has made that somehow they're doing a better
job, I mean, it is just very token and there are just as many instances
where they continue the oppression compared to those few where maybe
they've tried.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized for 1\1/2\
minutes.
Mr. BERMAN. We want Turkey to follow through on its commitment to
return confiscated property of Christian communities and to provide
compensation for properties that can't be recovered. We want Christian
communities in Turkey to enjoy the same rights and privileges that
religious minorities enjoy in this country.

{time} 2230

We want Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. This is not too
much to ask. In fact, that is the minimum we must ask if Turkey is ever
to join the ranks of the world's fully free nations.
I commend my good friend and colleague, Mr. Royce, for introducing
this resolution and working with me closely on this critical issue, and
I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I might also say that in order to ensure the future viability of the
Orthodox Church, the appointment of non-Turkish citizen metropolitans
to the Patriarchate's Holy Synod have been explicitly permitted in
Turkey since 2004. Furthermore, in 2010, Turkey offered citizenship to
metropolitans of foreign nationality who chose to apply. Additionally,
issues regarding the residence permits of foreign clergy have been
resolved.
I might also point out that I had mentioned earlier that the
directorate of religious affairs in Turkey had made available one of
the religious scholars in Turkey to conduct a seminar at Wesley
Theological Seminary. I would also mention to the body that the South
Korean Methodist Church has been evangelizing in parts of Turkey, and
they have a church in Antakya,

[[Page H8877]]

which is one of the early Christian church sites that is located in
Turkey, one of many, and they have been practicing their religion in
Antakya.
And so I would say that I don't want people to leave here with the
impression that Turkey is deliberately out there trying to deny
religious freedom, because that simply is not the case. Now, maybe they
have a way to go; but as I've said, there is certainly nothing in this
resolution that refers to anything about a genocide. This is simply
talking about religious freedom. And I wanted to simply point out the
steps that Turkey has been taking and continues to take.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. In closing, Mr. Speaker, religious freedom is a foundation
necessary, I believe, for any democracy. It's a freedom we here in
America can enjoy, and, frankly, it is embedded so deeply in our
culture that many of us tend to take these freedoms for granted. But,
unfortunately, this same scenario does not exist around this globe, and
I just have to tell you, Turkey has been identified on the religious
freedom watch list for 3 straight years. I wish that weren't the case,
but it is.
Frankly, I believe that what progress has come comes at least in
part--in part--due to this type of pressure from religious freedom
reports or from resolutions. The U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom allows us to gather nonpartisan information on
countries that violate these fundamental human rights. And it's my
understanding that in 2008 the Government of Turkey claimed they would
return confiscated properties, but out of 1,400 claims, less than 100
were approved.
Now, we have close relations with Turkey. We have common interests.
And this is a friendly urging that it do more on this important issue
and, frankly, one that Turkey itself has committed to improving on.
But, that said, with some of the statements made here today, I have to
comment on an issue of which I have some personal knowledge, or memory.
When I was a young boy, I remember very well an Armenian in our
community, a very elderly Armenian, who was the sole Armenian in his
village to survive the Armenian genocide. And the reason he survived
was because one of his neighbors hid him. And he told me the story of
the atrocities that occurred there.
Now, for our Ambassador, Henry Morgenthau, who detailed what was
going on while he was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, this was not
something that happened in theory. It was a genocide that cost a
million and a half human lives. And the fact that even today Turkey
does not acknowledge the existence of that Armenian genocide in the
Ottoman Empire, I think, should still give us pause. When we're dealing
with the remnants of the population of what was once a sizeable
percentage of the population of that area, when we're dealing with a
question of what remains, 1 percent Greek and Armenian heritage and
ethnicity that remains in Turkey today, I think it is only proper that
when we have this kind of report that comes back to us from the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom, and it details the fact
that for 3 years running, rather than make progress, we have seen
backsliding, I think it is time for this body to take the position and
send the message: Return that confiscated property to its rightful
owners; allow that small minority that remains, that wants to practice
their faith, allow them to practice their faith and allow them to
continue in their schools so that the next generation that wishes to
follow in that tradition can do so. That's the request here.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. In conclusion, I would just say and reiterate once
again that, in the 13th Annual Report on International Religious
Freedom, the U.S. Department of State also underscored Turkey's recent
efforts during the reporting period, the government took steps,
important steps, to improve religious freedom. These positive
statements have replaced the status of no change in the situation
regarding the religious freedom in Turkey.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, as a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on
Turkey and Turkish Americans, I rise to question the necessity for
consideration of H. Res. 306, urging the Republic of Turkey to
safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church
properties, especially in light of recent developments undertaken by
the Turkish government. The current government of Turkey has taken
steps to deal with the issue of religious properties.
By amending its Law on Foundations in August 2011, Turkey's statute
has been improved and expanded, providing that the ``immovable
properties, cemeteries and fountains'' of non-Muslim religious
entities--referred to as community foundations in Turkey--recorded in
Turkey's 1936 Declaration, and ``registered in the name of Turkish
public institutions,'' will be returned to the entities upon request.
Additionally, provisions are made for the Turkish Treasury or the
Directorate General of Foundations to compensate non-Muslim entities
for properties that are currently registered in the name of third
parties. Accordingly, those communities for whom the law is applicable
will be able to have their properties registered in their own names, or
be compensated.
In addition to this great step forward, Turkey has eased its
citizenship requirements for Orthodox senior clergy, and in compliance
with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, returned to
the Ecumenical Patriarchate its orphanage on the Princes' Islands.
Praising the Turkish government on September 13, 2011, Secretary of
State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, ``We have also seen Turkey take
serious steps to improve the climate for religious tolerance. The
Turkish government issued a decree in August that invited non-Muslims
to reclaim churches and synagogues that were confiscated 75 years ago.
I applaud Prime Minister Erdogan's very important commitment in doing
so.''
H. Res 306 was first introduced on June 15, 2011, and does not
recognize the developments on the ground since that time, nor does it
take a regional approach to these questions. If Turkey is singled out,
it should be for praise regarding progress that has been made.
Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Congressman Royce for introducing
H. Res. 306, Urging the Republic of Turkey to Safeguard its Christian
Heritage and to Return Confiscated Church Properties, and thank him for
his leadership in ensuring this important legislation is considered by
the full House of Representatives. As a cosponsor of this resolution I
strongly support its passage and encourage my fellow members to join me
in voting in favor of this bill.
While Turkey considers itself a secular democracy, in reality this is
simply not the case. The United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom has classified Turkey one of the world's top
violators of religious freedom. Out of a population of roughly 76.8
million people, the country's religious make-up is 99 percent Muslim
(mainly Sunni) and 1 percent Christian, Bahai, and Jewish.
Regulations imposed upon minority religious groups, specifically
Christians who make up less than 1 percent of the nation's population,
serve to deny religious equality within Turkey. For example, national
identification cards have a line item that displays one's religion, and
while people are allowed to omit their religion on their I.D. card, it
clearly marks individuals as non-Muslim.
Despite Turkey's obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the government has not
recognized minority religious communities, such as the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church, as independent entities with
full legal status. The Turkish government's policies go so far as to
deny non-Muslim communities the rights to train religious clergy, offer
religious education, and own and maintain places of worship, leading to
the decline, and in some cases the virtual disappearance, of these
important religious and historical communities.
Through its expropriation of church properties, continued harassment
of worshippers, and refusal to grant full legal status under Turkish
law to some Christian groups, the Republic of Turkey has failed to
fulfill its obligation as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which requires ``freedom of thought, conscience, and
religion.''
This resolution ``Urging the Republic of Turkey to Safeguard its
Christian Heritage and to Return Confiscated Church Properties'' calls
upon the government of Turkey to end religious discrimination, cease
all restrictions on gatherings for religious prayer and education, and
return stolen church property. On behalf of my Greek, Cypriot and
Armenian American constituents in New York's 13th Congressional
district, I strongly support the passage of this important resolution
and encourage my colleagues to stand against religious persecution
throughout the world.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 306,
urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and
to return confiscated church properties.
Sadly, this resolution is necessary in order to address the tragic
destruction of Christian

[[Page H8878]]

religious heritage in Turkey. The U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which has put Turkey on its ``watch list''
for three straight years, said earlier this year that ``the Turkish
government continues to impose serious limitations on freedom of
religion or belief, thereby threatening the continued vitality and
survival of minority religious communities in Turkey.''
Churches in Turkey have been desecrated and destroyed. Just a century
ago, there were over 2,000 Armenian churches in Turkey, but less than
100 remain standing and fully functioning today.
Discriminatory laws in Turkey have led to confiscation of church
property. The USCIRF has reported, ``Over the previous five decades,
the [Turkish] state has, using convoluted regulations and undemocratic
laws to confiscate hundreds of religious minority properties, primarily
those belonging to the Greek Orthodox community, as well as Armenian
Orthodox, Catholics, and Jews. . . . The state also has closed
seminaries, denying these communities the right to train clergy.''
In particular, the Turkish government has closed the Halki
Theological School for over three decades, despite repeated protests
from the United States and Christians from around the world. The school
had been a primary training center for educating future Greek priests
and Church leaders, and, as a result, its closure is having terrible
effects on those of the Greek Orthodox faith.
As a Nation founded on the principles of religious liberty, we must
stand up against desecration of churches in Turkey, the closing of
seminaries, the intimidation of religious minorities and the
confiscation of the Ecumenical Patriarch's property. I urge support for
this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 306, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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