ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH (FINALLY) MEETS WITH AKP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001347

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2013
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL TU
SUBJECT: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH (FINALLY) MEETS WITH AKP
MINISTERS


Classified By: Consul General David L. Arnett for reasons 1.5 (b) and (


d).



1. (C) SUMMARY: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I met with
FonMin Abdullah Gul and IntMin Abdulkadir Aksu on August 8
and 12, respectively. Though both ministers publicly and
warmly received Bartholomew, the meetings did not yield any
concrete steps forward on property issues or recognition of
the Patriarch's ecumenical status. Much ground remains to be
covered in resolving property and recognition problems. END
SUMMARY.




Bartholomew meets with Gul
--------------



2. (C) The Ecumenical Patriarchate requested formal meetings
with the new government months ago, but Bartholomew was only
received on August 8 by FonMin Abdullah Gul and on August 12
by IntMin Abdulkadir Aksu (note: this meeting follows a
personal appeal by Greek FonMin Papandreou during a recent
visit to Istanbul). Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia,
who attended the meetings with Gul and with Aksu, reported
that Gul warmly received the Patriarch, who made a brief
presentation about the activities of the Patriarchate both
within Turkey and internationally. Bartholomew then
discussed the many property issues which have been
problematic for the Greek community and Patriarchate for many
years. Per Meliton, Gul professed surprise at the extent to
which the General Directorate for Foundations had caused the
Patriarchate problems, and requested further information on
the Patriarchate's complaints. After further legal
explanation by Keban Hatemi, attorney for the Patriarchate
who was also in attendance, Gul said that the AK government
is working on new policies and regulations intended to make
improvements in religious freedom in Turkey, for Muslims and
all believers. At the conclusion of the meeting, Gul
reiterated to reporters that he had promised to continue
working with the Patriarchate on property issues, including
re-opening the Halki Seminary.


Aksu Blames the State
--------------



3. (C) Like Gul, Aksu voiced a willingness to work with the
Patriarchate and a recognition of past injustices to the
religious minorities. Meliton reported that Aksu said past
problems were the result of "a consolidated state policy,"
and hoped that "in time healthier conditions will be formed
to solve these problems." Aksu, per Meliton, said that past
judicial decisions against minority foundations "are not
befitting of democratic institutions."


No 'Ecumenical' For a While
--------------



4. (C) Meliton said that, in a brief interchange, Gul asked
the Patriarch to continue supporting Turkey in the public
sphere, as the current climate was difficult for Turkey. Per
Meliton, the Patriarch said that as a Turkish citizen, he had
always voiced strong support for Turkey in national and
international settings. However, he had also been honest
about the problems (property issues and ecumenical status) he
encounters. Gul, and later Aksu, both made a request that
the Patriarch not use the title Ecumenical until January,

2004. Aksu said that the reason for this was that PM Erdogan
was planning to attend a meeting in Istanbul of the European
Popular Party in October of this year, (a conference the
Patriarch typically participates in),but would be unable if
conference materials used the Ecumenical title.



5. (C) Per Meliton, the Patriarch told Gul that he could not
disavow the ecumenical status of the Patriarch, which had
been recognized since the 6th century, but that he would, as
a show of good faith, ask that the title not be printed in
conference materials. However, Bartholomew said, he could
not prevent other conference attendees from using the title
in referring to him. Meliton said that Gul was not very
happy with this response. Meliton also noted that Gul said
two FonMin ambassadors might be sent to the conference in
Erdogan's place.


Media Reaction
--------------



6. (C) Extensive press coverage and commentary, particularly
following the Gul meeting, focused primarily on the possible
opening of the Halki Seminary. The more right-wing
nationalist press greeted the prospect with predictable
paranoid hostility while some of the liberal columnists
magnanimously welcomed the idea. The Islamist press,
meanwhile, was also warm to the idea, while the die-hard
secularist writers openly warned that AK and its Islamist
supporters sought only to use Halki to establish a precedent
for loosening state control of Islamic education and training.


Comment
--------------



7. (C) Despite the delay in receiving Bartholomew, these
meetings may be a positive sign that the new government, as
it moves aggressively to advance EU harmonization reforms,
will also take further steps to improve the situation of
Turkey's religious minority communities. Even assuming the
government is well-intentioned, however (and does not intend
to use the minorities as a foil for a separate Islamic
agenda),addressing the difficult property and religious
freedom issues and pressing the state bureaucracy to change
its behavior will be a long, uphill struggle.
ARNETT