AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ARCHON VISIT, GREEK ORTHODOX

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 006628 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2014 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EU TU SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES ARCHON VISIT, GREEK ORTHODOX ISSUES WITH MFA REF: A. ISTANBUL 1753 ¶B. ANKARA 895 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman; reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (U) Summary: The Ambassador told MFA U/S Tuygan on November 26 that the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a New York-based Greek Orthodox group, are visiting Ankara to discuss religious freedom with the GOT as part of a pilgrimage involving the transfer of relics from the Vatican to the Patriarchate in Istanbul. Turkish MPs and GOT leaders have objected to the Ambassador's decision to host the Archons at his residence, on the grounds that the GOT does not recognize the ecumenical status of the Patriarchate. However, the U.S. disagrees with the GOT on this point, and has long urged the GOT to seek improved relations with the Patriarchate in order to expand religious freedom and bolster Turkey's EU candidacy. The Ambassador raised concerns about two recent problems relating to the Greek Orthodox community -- a court ruling upholding the expropriation of a Greek Orthodox orphanage, and efforts by authorities to tax a non-profit Greek Orthodox hospital. Tuygan argued it is inappropriate to host the Archons at a USG event in Turkey. He denied that the GOT restricts religious freedom, and accused the Greek Government of restricting the rights of the Turkish minority in Thrace. End Summary. -------------- GOT "Shocked" by Reception -------------- ¶2. (U) The Ambassador noted that he will host a reception at his residence December 2 in honor of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He said he understands the GOT does not recognize the ecumenical status of the Patriarchate, and that parliamentarians and GOT officials have therefore objected to the reception. However, the U.S., like other countries, does not share the GOT interpretation of the Patriarchate's status. The State Department's annual Religious Freedom and Human Rights reports refer to the Patriarchate, as well as Patriarch Bartholomew I, as "ecumenical." The Archons have been visiting Turkey regularly for years, and previous U.S. ambassadors have supported their visits, and hosted them at the residence. Tuygan said GOT officials were "shocked" to learn that a reception for the Archons would take place at the residence. It is one thing for the USG to recognize the Patriarchate as "ecumenical" in the U.S., but in Turkey this is inappropriate. Given that this visit is taking place shortly before the December 17 EU Summit, GOT leaders are wondering whether this reflects a U.S. attempt to insert GOT-Patriarchate relations into the EU process. Tuygan claimed that the Archons have "not always been friendly" in meetings with GOT officials. The Ambassador said the timing of the Archon visit is unrelated to the EU. The Archons are participating in a religious mission to transfer the relics of two saints from the Vatican to the Patriarchate in Istanbul, under a special agreement between the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch. They are coming to Ankara as part of that program. -------------- U.S. Has Long Advocated Religious Freedom -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador said the U.S. will not rebuff a group of Americans traveling to Turkey on a religious pilgrimage who want to discuss religious freedom with the GOT. The U.S. has long urged the GOT to improve relations with the Patriarchate, in order to expand religious freedom and bolster Turkey's EU candidacy. The Patriarchate is a centuries-old institution in Turkey. If it can flourish in Istanbul, it will symbolize Turkey's commitment to religious freedom. But the Greek Orhodox community in Turkey is dwindling, and the survival of the Patriarchate is at risk. If the center of Orthodoxy shifts from Istanbul to Moscow or Mt. Athos, Turkey's image will suffer, including among the many Orthodox Americans. Patriarch Bartholomew I is a strong supporter of Turkey's EU candidacy, and his backing of a Cyprus settlement drew criticism from church authorities on Cyprus. If GOT leaders were to engage the Patriarch in a discussion of GOT-Patriarchate relations, they would find him reasonable and realistic. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador said two new problems facing the Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community have recently emerged -- the High Court of Appeals has upheld the effective expropriation of an historic Greek Orthodox orphanage building, and authorities have notified the non-profit Greek Orthodox Balikli Hospital that it owes five years of back taxes (reftel A). EU Troika officials apparently raised religious freedom concerns in their November 23 meeting with GOT representatives. Tuygan argued that the GOT does not restrict religious freedom. He said the hospital and orphanage issues are being handled in the legal arena. The GOT bears no hostility toward the Patriarchate. But there is another side to the issue: the Greek Government restricts the religious rights of the Turkish minority in Thrace. Greek authorities refuse to recognize elected muftus, and instead appoint muftus. The U.S. Embassy in Athens invites the appointed muftus, not the elected ones, to events. Tuygan claimed that the Greek Orthodox in Turkey face far fewer restrictions than the Turkish minority in Greece. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) We think two factors explain GOT objections to this visit of the Archons, whose previous visits did not stir public controversy. In the run-up to the EU Summit, press reports are filled with wild speculation about various "new conditions" the EU will impose on Turkey in exchange for opening accession talks. At the same time, GOT leaders and press pundits have stoked anti-American sentiment with over-the-top comments on the Fallujah operation (septel). During a February visit to Ankara, the Archons held positive discussions with three Ministers (reftel B). Unfortunately, this visit is likely to prove more difficult. ¶6. (C) While PM Erdogan and some members of his cabinet have occasionally made conciliatory remarks concerning the Patriarchate, they have not followed up with action. The MFA, as indicated by Tuygan's remarks, has steadfastly refused to take the matter seriously. Although the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey has dwindled to less than 3,000 -- some estimates place it at 2,000 -- MFA officials continue to insist that the problems are trivial, and quickly change the subject to the Turkish minority in Thrace. EDELMAN