Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2007
CONTACT: Karoon Panosyan
E-mail: [email protected]
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS FINDS NEGATIVE TRENDS
IN TURKEY
Washington, DC – A U.S. State Department report released this 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."
In addition to the Armenian Genocide legislation, the Armenian Assembly
continues to advocate for the swift passage of both Senate and House
resolutions honoring Dink, as an important measure alerting the
government of Turkey of the incompatibility of its legal standards and
practices with the norms and principles of human rights and democratic
governance, and encourages the Turkish society to embrace the principles
of tolerance, openness and diversity as prerequisites for peaceful
democratic change in that country.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2007-108
Editors Note: Below are links to the State Department Report and the
2005 Testimony submitted by Assembly Board of Trustees Member Van
Krikorian:
U.S. Department of State: Turkey, International Religious Freedom Report
2007:
Testimony:
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
