AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON ECUMENICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 002177

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2015
TAGS: PHUM TU AA OSCE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON ECUMENICAL
PATRIARCH

Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones, Reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) Summary: During a cordial introductory call on
December 20, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I outlined for
the Ambassador the history of the Greek Orthodox Church in
Turkey and underscored three major factors threatening it:
the lack of a seminary for the training of priests; the lack
of legal status (and consequent inability to own property);
and the current inability to elect a non-Turkish national as
successor to the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Ambassador
reaffirmed the USG's determination to continue to press for
movement on these critical issues. End Summary.


2. (C) Bartholomew warmly welcomed the Ambassador, offering
his hopes for a fruitful US-Turkish bilateral relationship
and for US efforts here and in the region. He also expressed
thanks for longstanding U.S. support for the Greek Orthodox
community in Turkey, as well as his appreciation for the
recent official U.S. statement on Halki seminary. Ambassador
thanked Bartholomew for receiving him and emphasized the
importance he attached to calling upon him during his first
visit to Istanbul. Religious freedom remains at the top of
our agenda with Turkey, he said, and we continue to press the
case that such freedom does not hurt Turkey but rather
strengthens it.


3. (C) Bartholomew said the Patriarchate,s future is related
closely to Halki Seminary. It needs to be able to train
priests for the community. He has pressed the government
repeatedly without result. He stressed that the seminary
does not need to be at the university level; a high school or
vocational charter is sufficient. Such a charter was granted
in 1951, but has since been disregarded by the authorities.
The Patriarch observed that the President of Turkey's Higher
Education Board has admitted that there are no legal
obstacles to the school's reopening; what is missing is
political will. He added that while the Armenian Patriarch
apparently was amenable to a recent government proposal to
resolve the larger theological school issue, the conditions
were unacceptable to the Greek community.


4. (C) Turning to the decline of the Orthodox community in
Turkey, which fell from 100,000 to 3,000 by the end of the
20th century as a result of poor Greek-Turkish relations,
Bartholomew emphasized the importance of relaxing the
requirement that the Patriarch be a Turkish citizen. He is
already pushing on this issue. He had taken the decision
last year to include non-Turkish citizens in the church's
Holy Synod for the first time in the history of the Turkish
Republic. It included representatives of all the Ecumenical
Patriarch,s jurisdictions (Chicago, Toronto, Italy, Crete,
Thessaloniki, Deodecannus). While the local press had
created some difficulties, the Government had not.
Bartholomew added that he hopes to see a return to the system
whereby a non-Turk can be elected Patriarch, with the ability
to immediately take Turkish nationality/citizenship upon
arrival in Turkey, as occurred in 1946 when Athenagorus, the
Archbishop of Latin America, was elected Patriarch.


5. (C) Bartholomew also highlighted the Greek Orthodox
Church,s property. The Patriarchate was awaiting the new
Foundation Law, which will soon be voted upon by the National
Assembly. The law is not favorable to the Greek community
and contains a clause that facilitates the expropriation of
unused or little used property, e.g. facilities where
religious ceremonies have not been celebrated for a certain
period of time. Under already existing legislation, the GOT
earlier had taken 18 churches, monasteries and an orphanage,
none of which had been returned to the community.


6. (C) The Patriarch outlined his longstanding efforts to
promote interfaith dialog with Roman Catholic, Anglican,
Lutheran and other denominations. He noted confidentially
that he expected the Pope to visit Istanbul for the Feast of
St. Andrew in 2006 and invited the Ambassador to attend
accompanying events. He had hoped for the Pope to come to
this year's feast, but GOT intervention had forced
postponement. Bartholomew said that the Archbishop of
Canterbury invited him to conclude the first phase of an
Anglican-Orthodox dialog and that a second phase will open in
the summer of 2006. He also reviewed his efforts to promote
environmental awareness and conservation, and underscored the
importance of having a properly trained clergy to continue
these dialogs.


7. (C) In response to the Ambassador's inquiry about security
cooperation with the Turkish government, the Patriarch
reviewed the attacks and demonstrations carried out by
nationalists against the Patriarchate in recent years.
Bartholomew said that the current government provides good
security support, in contrast to the early 1990s, when
demonstrators were allowed to penetrate within the
Patriarchal compound. He has had access to key ministers,
including Prime Minister Erdogan and Interior Minister Aksu.
Meetings with them and others have sometimes produced
promises of action on Patriarchate issues, but nothing
results. Bartholomew expressed frustration with continued
nationalist attacks on his institution, arguing that in
addition to pursuing EU accession and associated reforms,
there is a need to change the mentality of segments of the
Turkish population.
JONES