[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound 
concern with the continued violations of religious and human rights 
that the Republic of Turkey has perpetrated against the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate, the Holy See for over 300 million Orthodox faithful.
  While I understand and appreciate the role Turkey must fulfill as a 
strategic ally in our global war on terror, I am immensely disappointed 
in the demonstrated lack of progress Turkey has made in support of 
religious tolerance.
  As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Affairs and as a 
member of the House committees on Foreign Affairs and Homeland 
Security, I am extremely sensitive to nurturing the growing 
relationship between the United States and Turkey. The key factors in 
this relationship are ensuring Turkey's growth as a secular, 
constitutional democracy.
  Americans know the conditions that characterize secular democracies 
must, by necessity, include provisions for freedom of religion. While 
Turkey has made strides in other areas of modernization, it still fails 
to meet the standards of a civilized world in granting its citizens 
religious freedom.
  We seek no extraordinary demands on Turkey, simply to allow its 
citizens and institutions to be free of harassment based on religion. 
It's as simple as that.
  Like his predecessors before him, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 
worldwide leader of Orthodox Christians, has made extraordinary efforts 
to bridge the gap between Christianity and Islam. The Patriarch, whom 
the Orthodox Church considers the first among equals, has been an 
ambassador of goodwill for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
  In fact, the Ecumenical Patriarch has been proactive in assisting 
Turkey's cause on the world stage. His excellency, Bartholomew, has 
stated that Turkey's admission into the European Union would `` . . . 
provide a concrete example and a powerful symbol of mutually beneficial 
cooperation between the Western and Islamic worlds and put an end to 
the talk of the death of civilizations.
  ``This in turn would be a true strengthening of Europe and the 
European ideals that converge with the values of the `pilgrims of the 
book' spoken by the current Prime Minister of Turkey.''
  The Ecumenical Patriarchate has a record of reaching out and working 
for peace and reconciliation amongst all faiths and has fostered 
dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims. What the Greek Orthodox 
community and all watchdogs of religious freedom throughout the world 
are asking for in return is simply that Turkey abides by the tenets of 
its constitution, which secures religious rights for all of its 
citizens.
  In accordance with the administration's ambitious agenda over the 
next 2 years to further develop a U.S.-Turkey strategic relationship, I 
urge my fellow Members to support House Resolution 373, of which I am 
an original cosponsor, so that we may impress upon Turkey the need to 
grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate ecclesiastic succession; the right to 
train clergy of all nationalities; and respect for human rights and 
property rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
  By encouraging Turkey to continue the achievements that 
democratization has yielded thus far for its society, we will be 
working to promote and safeguard religious human rights for the 
Ecumenical Patriarchate. For this, we and nearly 300 million Orthodox 
Christians would be eternally grateful.

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