US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS FINDS NEGATIVE TRENDS IN TURKEY
Public Radio of Armenia. ArmRadio
Sept 25 2007
A US State Department report released last week criticized Turkey
for continuing to impose restrictions on minority religious groups,
particularly the Armenian and Greek communities, who have lost
properties to the state and continue to face strong resistance from
Turkish authorities to have them returned.
The 2007 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, which was
released on September 14, found that the Ecumenical (Greek Orthodox)
and Armenian Patriarchates continue to seek legal recognition of their
status, the absence of which prevents them from having the right to
own and transfer property and train religious clergy.
In April 2005, Armenian Assembly Board of Trustees Member Van
Krikorian, in his testimony before Congress detailed the problems of
the Armenian and Greek community in Turkey. There is no evidence that
they have improved since then. "In 1914, there were approximately
5,000 Armenian Churches, seminaries and schools registered by the
Patriarchate…less than 50 Armenian Churches remain under the
jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate today," Krikorian said.
The latest report documents the continued and disturbing trend, which
includes the growing number of religiously motivated killings, attacks
and threats against minorities; anti-missionary and anti-Semitic
rhetoric and stereotyping; stigmatizing and harassment of religious
minorities for actions of foreign state-actors where that minority
constitutes the titular element, such as holding the Jewish community
responsible for events in the Middle East, or the Armenians for the
actions of Armenia, or the Greeks for the actions of Greece.
The report states that there was "no change in the status" of respect
for religious freedom by the Turkish government, and found that
"there were reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on
religious belief or practice…Violent attacks and threats against
non-Muslims during the reporting period created an atmosphere of
pressure and diminished freedom for some non-Muslim communities,"
the report concluded.
The report, in particular, underscores the importance of abolishing
the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which penalizes
discussion of the Armenian Genocide for "insulting Turkishness." In the
reporting period, that Article was used to prosecute two individuals
who had converted to Christianity, who are accused of organizing a
Bible correspondence course, and who if convicted, could be sentenced
to six months to three years in prison. Earlier, Article 301 was used
to prosecute Hrant Dink, editor and human rights activist, who was
assassinated in Istanbul by an ultranationalist in January 2007 for
speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide; as well as Arat Dink,
his son, who republished Hrant Dink’s writings, including of those
that mention the Genocide. Since 2006, there have been over 60 cases
filed against journalists under this law.
"The fact that Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code is still on the
books and is being used to prosecute Arat Dink serves as a chilling
reminder of the atmosphere created in Turkey for Christian minorities,"
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny stated.
It is with this concern in mind, that the Armenian Assembly welcomed
the introduction of two resolutions in the United States Congress
earlier this year – S. Res. 65 in the Senate, and H. Res. 102 in
the House of Representatives. Both resolutions condemn the brutal
assassination of Hrant Dink, honor his memory and legacy of advancement
of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Turkey, and call upon
the government of Turkey to abolish Article 301 of its Penal Code –
the legal foundation for the prosecution, intimidation and harassment
of pro-democracy activism in that country.
The report also uncovered that in February 2007, two people were
arrested for reportedly targeting the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul
Mesrob II when they fired guns in the air during a memorial service
for Hrant Dink.
Last week an online video praising the individuals responsible for
Dink’s murder created a furor in Turkey, as many viewed the amateur
production as ultra-nationalist hate propaganda. An Istanbul prosecutor
has launched an investigation into the video which appeared on YouTube
– a popular video-sharing web site.
In a new development this week, Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan was
scheduled to speak at Georgetown University in Washington yesterday,
however the event was canceled. The Patriarch has come under continued
pressure from the government of Turkey to speak against the Armenian
Genocide Resolution and deny his people’s own history.
Several Armenian-American organizations brought their concern
about the Patriarch’s safety and freedom to speak openly about the
Genocide to the attention of Congressional leaders. The Turkish media
falsely reported that U.S. Armenian organizations pressured for the
cancellation of the Patriarch’s speech. Further distorting facts,
a recent article in the Turkish Daily News went so far as to quote
a Turkish diplomat saying, "U.S. Armenians apparently cannot even
stand an Armenian speaking, if he does not support their position."
"The historical truth of the Armenian Genocide is an incontestable
fact. In the words of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau it was a ‘campaign
of race extermination,’" said Ardouny. "We will continue to press
for an affirmative vote on H. Res. 106, which enjoys the support of
a majority in the House and resoundingly defeat the denialist efforts
to distort the truth and intimidate those who stand for the truth."