ARMENIAN PATRIARCH DISCUSSES ONGOING CONCERNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000401

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN PATRIARCH DISCUSSES ONGOING CONCERNS


Classified By: Consul General David L. Arnett for reasons 1.4 (b) and (


d).



1. (C) SUMMARY: Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II believes the
run-up to a decision for Turkey on EU accession in December
provides the best opportunity in years to get movement from
the GoT on a variety of problems faced by minority
communities, including church administration and property
issues, clerical education, and security concerns. To date
Mesrob believes little real change has been effected,
although Istanbul police have acted quickly against a website
encouraging violent attacks against his community. END
SUMMARY.



2. (C) Consul General met with Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II,
still recovering from a serious traffic accident, on March

12. Mesrob provided thoughtful insight into the challenges
faced by the Armenian Orthodox Community in particular, and
minority religions in general, in working with the Turkish
bureaucracy. Mesrob remains hopeful that there will be
"positive changes in the near future, despite a recent
hardening of GoT attitudes in some areas."


How to Keep an Empty Church
--------------



3. (U) Under current General Directorate of Foundations
(Vakiflar Genel Mudurlugu, VGM) regulations, each church or
synagogue in Turkey must have an administering foundation,
typically a board of directors made up of parishioners. In
areas of Turkey where the population of a given minority is
dwindling, it can often be impossible to find the minimum
number of people (typically six) needed to administer the
church or synagogue foundation in that locality. Should the
number fall below the minimum, the VGM eventually takes title
to the church or synagogue, and any attached property,
ostensibly for the purpose of safeguarding the property.



4. (C) In practice, this safeguarding constitutes, at best,
neglect. The VGM has little money for use in the upkeep of
vacant churches. In several cases, churches taken over by
the VGM were used in ways that were objected to by the
minority community. Minority communities have also alleged
that VGM officials have used former church properties to
enrich themselves or their friends.



5. (U) As a possible remedy to the situation, Armenian and
Jewish Community representatives have proposed on several
occasions not requiring that board members be resident in the
same district (ilce) as the church or synagogue. Though GoT
authorities have shown some flexibility, allowing residents
of the same province (particularly in Istanbul) to serve on
boards of foundations in districts other than their own, this
has not extended to Turkey as a whole. Mesrob believes that
by allowing board members to serve on foundations elsewhere
in Turkey, the churches and synagogues could better address
their desire to preserve historically-significant, but not
regularly-used, houses of worship.



6. (C) In particular, Mesrob points to the Church of St.
Gregory the Illuminator in Kayseri. This church, built in
what was believed to be the home town of St. Gregory (who
converted the Armenians to Christianity, leading to Armenia
becoming the first officially Christian state),has major
historical significance for Armenians everywhere. If the VGM
were to take over, and then neglect or misuse the property,
the Armenian Diaspora would object strenuously and publicly,
he believes. Though he has expressed such concerns directly
to the GoT, no response has been forthcoming to his proposal
for expanding eligibility for foundation board participation.


No Halki for Armenians
--------------



7. (C) Mesrob discussed the status of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate's negotiations with the GoT on reopening of
Halki Seminary. Mesrob believes that such negotiations have
reached am impasse because the Greeks want the seminary to be
classified as a "vocational school," something which would
not/not put Halki under the authority of the Higher Board of
Education (YOK). (Note: Vocational schools still fall under
the Ministry of Education. Mesrob did not elaborate as to
why the government preferred YOK as the appropriate
authority.)



8. (SBU) Though the Armenian Orthodox Community also has
now-defunct seminaries which it could reopen if it also
reached an agreement with the Ministry of Education and YOK,
Mesrob says he has no desire to do so. Mesrob says he
intends to work with YOK to create some sort of theological
faculty which would train future Armenian priests and
teachers, as well as outsiders with an academic interest in
Orthodox theology, for two years only. He then hopes to send
the candidates for the priesthood overseas for further, and
more intensive, training.

9. (SBU) Mesrob's attitude is the result of financial
concerns. He estimates that reopening a seminary in Istanbul
would cost USD 400,000 per year. Sending an average of 8-10
students per year overseas for theological training costs USD
15,000 to 20,000 per student, resulting in a net savings of
USD 200,000 to 280,000. Though Mesrob's proposal seems much
closer to the Ministry of Education and YOK's wishes, there
is no GoT movement to date.


Internet Threats Ended
--------------



10. (C) Mesrob had previously raised with poloff security
concerns regarding a web site
(http://barbarian.sitemynet.com/PitbuLs/id6.h tm -- now
defunct) which gave addresses and telephone numbers for
Armenian churches, hospitals, and foundations, along with
advice for how to make bombs, when best to attack, and what
dates are religious holidays. The site clearly planned to
provide similar information in the future for Jews,
Suriyanis, and "Ataturk Thought Associations," but had not
yet gotten information for these.



11. (C) Mesrob reported that Istanbul police had been very
helpful in tracking and identifying the owner of the site,
who was arrested and quickly sentenced to three years in
prison. Mesrob said that in the past, periodic small-scale
attempts at attacking the Armenian Community had been largely
unsuccessful, but pointed to a new security gate at the
patriarchate as proof of continued vigilance.
ARNETT