IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 236 

Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical 

Patriarchate. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 11, 2009 

Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. SPACE, 

Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. DUNCAN, and Ms. BERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms 

of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 

Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the spiritual home of 

the world’s oldest and second largest Christian Church; 

Whereas within the 2,000 year old Sacred See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the New Testament was codified 

and the Nicene Creed was created; 

Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one of the 

world’s preeminent spiritual leaders and peacemakers 

representing over 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide; 


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•HRES 236 IH 

Whereas the disappearance of the See would mean the end 

of a crucial link between the Christian and the Muslim 

world since the continuing presence of the Ecumenical 

Patriarchate in Turkey is a living testimony of religious 

co-existence since 1453; 

Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate has a record of reaching out and working for peace and reconciliation amongst 

all faiths and has fostered dialogue among Christians, 

Jews, and Muslims; 

Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate co-sponsored the Peace 

and Tolerance Conference in Istanbul which issued the 

Bosphorus Declaration that stated, ‘‘A crime committed 

in the name of religion is a crime against religion.’’; 

Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated in 

Brussels in 2004, ‘‘The Ecumenical Patriarchate is a supranational ecclesiastical institution . . . which demonstrates religious tolerance as a beautiful reality. For we 

bear respect toward all of our humans, irrespective of 

their faith. Without any trace of fanaticism or discrimination on account of differences of religion, we coexist 

peacefully and in a spirit that honors each and every 

human being.’’; 

Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has called 

for the admission of Turkey into the European Union because, ‘‘. . . it may provide a concrete example and a 

powerful symbol of mutually beneficial cooperation between the western and Islamic worlds and put an end to 

the talk of the clash of civilizations. This in turn would 

be a true strengthening of Europe and the European 

ideals that converge with the values of the ‘pilgrims of 

the book’ spoken of by the current Prime Minister of 

Turkey.’’; 


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•HRES 236 IH 

Whereas in 1993 the European Union defined the membership criteria for accession to the European Union at the 

Copenhagen European Council, obligating candidate 

countries to have achieved certain levels of reform, including stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, 

the rule of law, and human rights, and respect for and 

protection of minorities; 

Whereas under the terms of the draft European Union Constitution, current, and prospective member states should 

have the goal of eliminating discrimination based on sex, 

race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, 

membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation; 

Whereas the Turkish Constitution secures religious rights for 

all Turkish citizens; 

Whereas the Government of Turkey has failed to recognize 

the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s international status; 

Whereas the Government of Turkey has limited to Turkish 

nationals the candidates available to the Holy Synod of 

the Greek Orthodox Church for selection as the Ecumenical Patriarchate and reneged on its agreement to reopen 

the Theological School at Halki, thus impeding training 

for the Orthodox clergy in Turkey; 

Whereas the Government of Turkey has confiscated 75 percent of the Ecumenical Patriarchate properties and has 

placed a 42 percent retroactive tax on the Balukli Hospital of Istanbul which is operated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and 

Whereas the European Council has agreed to open accession 

negotiations with Turkey, conditional upon the continuVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:39 Mar 11, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR236.IH HR236

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•HRES 236 IH 

ation by Turkey of reform processes to increase protection and support for human rights and civil liberties: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) based on the goals set forth in the draft of 

3 the European Union Constitution, calls on Turkey to 

4 eliminate all forms of discrimination, particularly 

5 those based on race or religion, and immediately— 

6 (A) grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate ap7 propriate international recognition and eccle8 siastic succession; 

9 (B) grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate the 

10 right to train clergy of all nationalities, not just 

11 Turkish nationals; and 

12 (C) respect human rights and property 

13 rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; 

14 (2) calls on Turkey to pledge to uphold and 

15 safeguard religious and human rights without com16 promise; 

17 (3) encourages Turkey to continue the achieve18 ment of processes and programs to modernize and 

19 democratize its own society; 

20 (4) calls on Turkey to respect international law, 

21 European Union laws, and the basic tenets of 

22 human rights; and 


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•HRES 236 IH 

1 (5) expresses its view that Turkey must prove 

2 that it is ready to meet the criteria set forth by the 

3 Copenhagen European Council prior to its accession 

4 into the European Union. 

Æ 


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