ISTANBUL PROTESTANTS CONTINUE TO FACE CHALLENGES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001819 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV TU SUBJECT: ISTANBUL PROTESTANTS CONTINUE TO FACE CHALLENGES TO THEIR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REF: A. ADANA 149 ¶B. ADANA 128 ¶C. 03 ISTANBUL 149 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: While acknowledging that the environment for religious minorities in Turkey has significantly improved over the past several years, leaders of several Istanbul Protestant churches claim that they continue to face legal hurdles and cultural prejudice in their activities. Because their registration applications are routinely denied, delayed or ignored, the churches are forced to operate unofficially, with no legal guarantee to protect them from arbitrary closure. Some Protestant leaders suspect that the lack of formal procedures for the legal establishment of places of worship stems from the Turkish secular establishment's fear that this would open the way for the registration of thousands of illegal mosques. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Leaders of ten separate Protestant churches (most in Istanbul, but including one each from Izmir and Ankara) described their recent experiences to poloffs and conoff on December 2. The Protestants claim that there are about 30 churches in Istanbul with approximately 40 to 50 members in each congregation. All operate unofficially, with the exception of the Istanbul Protestant Church Foundation, which successfully registered as a foundation in 1998 (Note: Subsequent legal changes requiring that new foundations have at least USD 600,000 in capital have effectively eliminated this as an option for other churches. End Note). ¶3. (SBU) Overall, the Protestant leaders conceded that the general atmosphere for their activities had improved over the last several years, albeit in "baby steps." They cited the following examples of harassment over the past year alone: - Although appropriate permits had been obtained from the local deputy governor, the Sisli Police obtained higher authority to force the River Church to suspend its weekly screening of a film about Jesus. Claiming that they had received a bomb threat against the church, police searched the premises and suggested that they stop showing the film "for their own protection." - Despite being contacted by Bayrampasa prison officials when foreign inmates requested Christian services and provisions, the River Church was denied permission to administer the services on the grounds that the church pastor is not a registered priest. According to the pastor, however, he is an ordained minister and no Turkish authority ever asked to check his credentials. - Although they had obtained prior permission and there were no apparent protesters, police forced Alo Dua Church Protestants to stop distributing copies of the New Testament on Prince's Island, again claiming it was "for their own protection." - In a separate incident, a group of Protestants was harassed by hostile bystanders in Taksim while distributing materials on New Year's Day. Although permission had been obtained in advance, several police present failed to intervene, except to force the Protestants, rather than the hostile bystanders, to vacate the premises, again citing their security as the reason. - Church members traveled to a remote area in the Black Sea region for the baptism of four new members. They claim that thirty gendarme showed up, made threatening remarks and forced them to leave. - Last month several congregations reported that outsiders distributed materials at their services published by an organization called Hakikat (reportedly linked with Turkish Hizbullah) threatening Turkish converts with violence if they don't convert back to Islam. ¶4. (SBU) The Protestant leaders also shared stories about legal roadblocks they have faced over the past year: - The River Church applied for a permit to hold discussion groups about the movie "The Passion." Despite a constitutional right to assemble, the application was denied on the grounds that zoning laws in the requested area do not allow church discussion groups. - Church members were occasionally harassed, subjected to unreasonable delays, or denied outright when they sought to change their religion on their national ID cards. One official simply refused to provide the necessary application forms; others were told they could not convert without a document from a registered church (Note: The only such churches are of other denominations, mostly Greek or Armenian Orthodox. End Note). - Most complained that their inability to officially register means that they cannot obtain Turkish residency or work permits. The Turkish government requires individuals applying for residency to have at least USD 30,000 in Turkey, but residency permits are required to open bank accounts. Without such permits foreigners must leave the country every 90 days, in order not to overstay their visas. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Protestants appear to be free to worship in the privacy of their unregistered churches (usually residential or commercial office space),but when they seek to conduct outreach or other public activities, they routinely encounter official harassment and occasionally public prejudice. The lack of established procedures to officially register the churches effectively denies the Protestant community any legal protection from official harassment and arbitrary closure. Even the Istanbul Protestant Church Foundation has so far been unable to obtain the necessary zoning permits for its small church (Note: Current zoning regulations stipulate that places of worship be at least 2,500 square meters in size - a requirement that the church (and many mosques) fails to meet). The reluctance of Turkish authorities to facilitate the registration of these churches may stem, in part, from the secular establishment's concern that such a precedent could lead to the legalization of thousands of uncontrolled, unregistered mesjits or mosques. ARNETT