ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE - EUR DAS BRYZA JULY 12

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISTANBUL 001302 SIPDIS SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY DELETING SECSTATE AS INFO ADDRESSEE DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV TU SUBJECT: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE - EUR DAS BRYZA JULY 12 DISCUSSIONS REF: ISTANBUL 524 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: EUR DAS MATT BRYZA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: EUR DAS Bryza discussed a potential way to resolve the long-standing Halki issue with the Ecumenical Patriarch during a July 12 meeting. The Patriarch also raised property issues, noting that the Government of Turkey (GOT) had begun selling seized Ecumenical Patriarchate properties, as well as modalities surrounding the election of the next Ecumenical Patriarch. End Summary ¶2. (C) EUR Deputy Assistant Secretary Bryza met the Ecumenical Patriarch on July 12 to discuss a variety of long-standing issues and to describe a potential way forward on the Halki Seminary closure using the good offices of the Prime Minister's chief foreign policy advisor Ahmet Davutoglu. Bartholomew began by expressing his thanks that the Secretary had continued to raise issues of concern to the Patriarchate in her conversations with FM Gul and others, but noted that the current Government of Turkey (GOT) had thus far provided only promises and no actions in response to the Patriarchate,s repeated overtures. ¶3. (C) Bryza described the issue of the Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarch himself as central to U.S. relations with Turkey, noting that Turkey's strategic importance to the U.S. flows in part from its position as a secular democracy with a majority Muslim population that has accomplished modernization and reform with a relative level of success. Turkey still has problems in the area of religious freedom in particular and as a result it would be useful for the GOT to embrace the Ecumenical Patriarchate. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Patriarch: Elected "By God" Not Selected by Ankara - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) Bryza relayed his conversation the previous day with Turkish PM Advisor Ahmet Davutoglu on the importance of non-Turkish citizens being elected Ecumenical Patriarch. Bryza explained that Davutoglu hoped that the Patriarchate would view the GOT's 2005 decision to not interfere in the selection of several foreign members of the Holy Synod as a gesture of good will. Bartholomew argued quite forcefully that the membership of the synod was his decision, was not subject to GOT oversight and that there was thus no legal basis for the GOT to have interfered. Bryza stressed that the selection of foreign members did draw negative attention in the media and within the AK Party, and Bryza the GOT could have responded in an unhelpful fashion but chose to instead not challenge the Patriarch's decision. This non-interference should be viewed in a positive light. Bartholomew agreed. (Comment: This is a positive departure from the previous GOT practice of setting virtually all parameters for the patriarchal designation process. End Comment.) ¶5. (C) Bartholomew explained that directives issued by the Istanbul Governor's office in 1923 and 1970 require the Patriarch to be a Turkish citizen living in Turkey. These directives also provide for selection of a new Patriarch by the Istanbul Governor if the election process takes more than eight days. Bartholomew noted that selection by anyone other than the "divinely inspired Holy Synod" would not be acceptable to the Greek Orthodox Church or to the broader Orthodox community. He has written a letter to the GOT expressing his concerns and seeking a formal guarantee that the election of his successor would be free from government interference. He described two major areas of concern. He hoped that all the hierarchs of the church, regardless of citizenship, would be considered in the patriarchal election and that if a non-Turkish citizen were elected the GOT would immediately grant Turkish citizenship to the new Ecumenical Patriarch, following the current practice in Egypt for the Patriarch of Alexandria. Second, in past patriarchal elections, although not/not his election, the GOT demanded the three or four strongest candidates not be considered for election. The GOT should not revert to this practice. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - Property: Confiscations, Inheritance and Sales - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Bartholomew described a climate of increasing property confiscations (reftel) including the recent seizure of three monasteries on the Princes' Islands which were registered in the name of the General Directorate of Foundations (Vakiflar). The Vakiflar is collecting rents on these properties that had previously gone to the Patriarchate. The Patriarchate lacks a legal identity in Turkey and as a result has registered more than 80 properties under symbolic names, including for example the Virgin Mary and the Prophet Elijah. Turkish citizens have gone to court in an attempt to establish title through inheritance for these properties by claiming to be direct descendants of the Virgin Mary, and their claims are being entertained by the courts. He stressed that in a climate of good will these types of cases would be dismissed, but that the long term solution is for the Patriarchate to acquire a legal identity and to be able to register its properties directly. (C) The Vakiflar has recently begun selling confiscated properties, explained Bartholomew. Most recently rooms in the courtyard of the St. George Monastery on Burgaz Island have been offered for sale. These rooms were used as living quarters for monks and are demonstrably church property he argued. Bryza noted that property issues were a long-standing irritant but that the sale of confiscated properties was an indication that the situation was worsening and committed to raise U.S. concerns with Ankara urgently. Bryza told the Ecumenical Patriarch that FM Gul described the draft law on foundations as a means of solving many of these property issues during his recent meeting with the Secretary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Halki: Cover from Western Thrace - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (C) Bryza stressed the moral and political significance of Turkey reopening Halki. Bryza noted that although the re-opening of Halki had no actual connection to the situation in Western Thrace, political realities linked the two issues for the GOT. He was hopeful that the Government of Greece might be persuaded to move on the issue of muftis in Thrace, perhaps by separating the judicial and community leader functions currently performed by the muftis and allowing the muftis to be selected by the local Turkish community. Bryza explained that Davutoglu believed that this type of move by Athens would provide sufficient political cover for the GOT to re-open Halki and withdraw the regulations concerning the election of a new patriarch. Bartholomew noted that if it would be useful he would be willing to meet with Davutoglu to discuss these issues directly. ¶8. (C) Bartholomew stressed the importance of the seminary to the survival of the patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey, noting that even the smallest orthodox communities (Albania, Finland) have at least one theological school. Trained religious workers are necessary not only to work within the locally resident orthodox community but also to support the Ecumenical Patriarch's efforts in the areas of inter-communal dialog ) with Rome, with the Anglican Communion, with the Lutheran Convention ) and on environmental protection. Stressing that the Patriarchate does not reject state control/oversight of a seminary, Bartholomew explained that courses at Istanbul University, the current GOT proposal, were no substitute for the monastic experience coupled with full time training provided at a seminary such as Halki. The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed a desire to return to the situation as it was prior to 1971 with the Ministry of Education overseeing Halki, based on a 1951 regulation that gave responsibility for oversight to the Ministry of Education. ¶9. (C) Bryza explained that during July 10-11 meetings Davutoglu expressed a desire to work for a resolution of the Halki issue by focusing on the 1951 regulation rather than the 1968 regulation that was repealed by the decision by the Istanbul Governors office that Halki should be treated as a university. Bartholomew was wholeheartedly in favor of this approach, noting that during recent discussions Erdogan Tezic, head of the Higher Board of Education (YOK),told him that Halki could reopen "tomorrow" under the provisions in the 1951 regulation. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Way Forward - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶10. (C) Immediately following the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bryza contacted Davutoglu who agreed to discuss possible next steps with Prime Minister Erdogan and to meet the Ecumenical Patriarch in the near future. We have conveyed Davutoglu's response to the Patriarchate. Bartholomew conveyed later in the day via the Greek Ambassador to Turkey that he was deeply pleased with the news that Davutoglu would reach out to him. Bryza and Bartholomew agreed to pursue the following steps: -- Bartholomew would work with the Greeks in Greece, Turkey and the U.S. and Bryza would work the GOT to focus the Halki debate on the 1951 regulation, which could allow Halki to reopen by a GOT claim that the 1971 prohibition of religious schools applied only to the court institutions registered under the 1968 regulation, not the 1951 regulation. -- Bryza would work with the GoG to explore the nomination by Athens of a secular judge and the selection of the Mufti by the Turkish Community as a community leader; these steps would help shape Turkey,s political climate to allow Halki reopening under the 1951 regulation, but not as a quid-pro-quo. -- Bryza and the USG would press the GOT to prevent further ceasing and selling of patriarchate church properties in Turkey. ¶11. (U) DAS Bryza cleared this message. JONES