BIBLE SOCIETY'S EXPERIENCE TRANSCENDS RELIGIOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000052

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV TU
SUBJECT: BIBLE SOCIETY'S EXPERIENCE TRANSCENDS RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM CONCERNS IN TURKEY

REF: 06 ISTANBUL 2091

Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) Summary: The Bible Society in Turkey, established by
Congregational Protestant missionaries in Istanbul in 1820,
continues to enjoy freedom from government interference in
its operations. Notably, its recent publication of a Kurdish
language Bible received little GOT attention and was even
described as a positive sign of the strength of the Republic
in at least one popular Turkish weekly. The Society's
experience is an example of Turkey's religious tolerance at
its best, particularly when contrasted with onerous GOT
administrative restrictions on other religious minority
institutions. End summary.

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A History of Unimpeded Bible Publishing and Sales
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2. (SBU) Nestled in the heart of Istanbul's historic Eminonu
District, on a side street just behind the famed 17th Century
Spice Bazaar, is a non-descript building which is home to the
Bible Society in Turkey (BST). We met with Executive
Secretary Tamar Karasu and Project Coordinator Behnan

SIPDIS
Konutgan to discuss BST's operations and relations with the
GOT, as well as with Turkish society, in general. Karasu
explained that both its Eminonu office and a bookstore
located prominently on Istanbul's popular shopping boulevard
Istiklal Caddesi, were opened in the 19th Century. The
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (which
later became the American Board Mission and was linked to the
establishment of Istanbul's elite Robert College -- the
oldest American school outside of the US -- before its
founder broke from the Board in order to establish the
school's independence) created the organization in 1820 for
the purpose of selling Bibles and built the Eminonu building
that same year.


3. (SBU) Konutgan noted that the American Board Mission,
which aside from providing the Eminonu office space now has
very little to do with BST, spun off the latter in 1966 as
the American Bible Society. The Istiklal Caddesi bookstore
is registered under the name of the British and Foreign Bible
Society. Together, the American Bible Society's Eminonu
office and the British and Foreign Bible Society's Istiklal
Caddesi bookstore make up the BST. Konutgan lamented the
American Board Mission's transfer of most of its assets and
operations, including the majority of the Eminonu building,
to the Turkish Health Education Foundation in 1995 without
notifying BST. The American Board Mission provides free
office space to the Society in the small part of the building
that it still owns but Konutgan worries BST could lose the
space should the American Board Mission entirely close down
its operations, which he claims are now limited to a library
and three-person office serving as regional representative
for the American Church Council.


4. (SBU) Karasu, an Armenian Turk who has managed BST for
three years, told us the GOT does not interfere with the
Society's work, which includes translating, publishing and
selling Bibles. She explained the only requirement the
government imposes on publishing Bibles is "the selected
language must be spoken in this land." She added the Society
itself incorporates high levels of scrutiny in its
procedures. For example, during a translation project a
consultant from the United Bible Society (a UK-based umbrella
organization) visits BST quarterly to check on translators'
work. Because BST is ecumenical, noted Karasu, the completed
draft is sent to churches representing all of the different
Christian denominations in Turkey so that they may proofread
it and identify any concerns. She stressed the only problems
the Society has with the government are structural,
explaining that because the organization was established
during the Ottoman Empire, it is not registered with the
Chamber of Commerce and therefore cannot import or export
publications.

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Reaction to Kurdish Bible Suggests Changing Attitudes
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5. (C) Recent BST projects include a new Turkish translation
of the Bible, which has generated approximately 80,000 copies
in sales since its release in 2001. In addition, the Society
published the first Kurdish language Bible in September 2005
and plans to print a revision of a 3rd Century edition of a
Syrian New Testament recently discovered in Europe. Konutgan
told us the Kurdish language Bible stirred up, in some

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circles, traditional fears of Kurdish nationalism. He
explained that while working on the project he received a
call from a public prosecutor who stated the "secret police"
had expressed concerns that this edition included information
intended to incite Kurdish nationalist sentiments. According
to Konutgan, the prosecutor clearly doubted the validity of
the accusation but conducted a cursory investigation as
required and determined there was no case to pursue. As a
sign of potentially changing attitudes towards Turkey's
Kurds, the popular Turkish tabloid Tempo covered the release
of the Bible with a headline, "Kurdish Bible Is Out But We
Are Still Not Divided" suggesting Kurdish language
publications do not necessarily threaten the unity of the
Republic.

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Education is Key to Progress
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6. (C) Konutgan, who is also a pastor in the co-located
Baptist Church, drew a distinction between the BST's
experience with the government and the latter's treatment of
minority communities in general, which he characterized as
embarrassing to the Turkish nation and analogous to a "man
beating his wife." He recounted disturbing personal
experiences with GOT officials, stating he had been arrested
numerous times and the security forces maintain a large file
on him. "The problem is the police don't know the laws and
the government doesn't teach anything about Christianity," he
explained. He noted the current government has done better
than previous administrations but that this was likely due to
EU accession related reforms. Ironically, Konutgan lamented
that the EU, for its part, is "neglecting Christianity -- the
only thing that binds it together." He predicted that unless
the EU changed its ways there would be no Union for Turkey to
join in the future.


7. (SBU) Both Karasu and Konutgan agreed BST enjoyed "very
good relations with its neighbors." Aside from a few, minor
incidents of verbal condemnation, the two could not recall
any significant example of societal discrimination against
the organization. Karasu reported BST is very well received
at book fairs with many people expressing curiosity, if not
interest, in its publications. Stressing the strength of
inter-faith relations, Konutgan told us some of BST's best
contracted printers were Muslims.


8. (SBU) BST's charter is deeply rooted in the printing of
Bibles, however it has recently expanded its reach by
experimenting with more contemporary media, as well. Karasu
explained the organization is a partner in an Istanbul-based
television channel Turk Seven (the name is a play on words as
"seven" in Turkish means "he who loves"),which last month
began broadcasting Christian programming four hours a day in
Turkey via satellite. Konutgan proudly showed us a DVD he
produced entitled "St. Paul in Anatolia," noting it is not
intended to be used as a proselytizing vehicle but rather
demonstrates Christianity's ties to Turkey, which he called
"the Forgotten Holy Land."


9. (C) Comment: Turks still take pride in their history of
religious tolerance. BST's nearly 200-year experience in
Istanbul is consistent with reports from members of most
religious minority communities in Turkey that they are able
to freely practice their faiths. At the same time, religious
tolerance has not always equated to religious freedom or
equality of treatment, and the GOT has imposed significant
procedural restrictions affecting the ability of religious
communities to administer their institutions (reftel). How
comfortable religious minorities feel within Turkish society
in general is largely driven by how they are portrayed in the
media. Konutgan suggests the government has failed to live
up to its leadership responsibility in educating the public
about minority religions. The resulting ignorance, he
implies, is sometimes amplified by the media and often
reflected by the behavior of low level government officials
such as the police. Nevertheless, BST's experience and
particularly the Kurdish Bible example are promising case
studies for religious freedom, as well as Kurdish rights in
Turkey. End comment.
JONES