IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 732 
Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2018 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself and Mr. BILIRAKIS) 
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 Ecu-
menical 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 world-
wide; 
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 
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Patriarchate in Turkey is a living testimony of religious 
co-existence since 1453; 
Whereas Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was awarded 
the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award be-
stowed by the United States Congress, and he coordi-
nated with religious leaders around the world to issue a 
condemnation of the September 11, 2001, attack on the 
United States as an anti-religious act; 
Whereas the Ecumenical Patriarchate has a record of reach-
ing 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 su-
pranational ecclesiastical institution . . . which dem-
onstrates 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 discrimi-
nation 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 be-
cause, ‘‘. . . it may provide a concrete example and a 
powerful symbol of mutually beneficial cooperation be-
tween the western and Islamic worlds and put an end to 
the talk of the clash of civilizations. This in turn would 
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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.’’; 
Whereas in 1993 the European Union defined the member-
ship criteria for accession to the European Union at the 
Copenhagen European Council, obligating candidate 
countries to have achieved certain levels of reform, in-
cluding 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 Con-
stitution, current, and prospective member states should 
have the goal of eliminating discrimination based on sex, 
race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, lan-
guage, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, 
membership of a national minority, property, birth, dis-
ability, 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 candidates 
available to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patri-
archate to Turkish nationals and reneged on its agree-
ment to reopen the Theological School at Halki, thus im-
peding the training for Orthodox clergy; 
Whereas the Government of Turkey has confiscated 75 per-
cent of the Ecumenical Patriarchate properties and has 
placed a 42-percent retroactive tax on the Balukli Hos-
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pital of Istanbul which is operated by the Ecumenical Pa-
triarchate; and 
Whereas the European Council has agreed to open accession 
negotiations with Turkey, conditional upon the continu-
ation by Turkey of reform processes to increase protec-
tion and support for human rights and civil liberties: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) based on the goals set forth in the draft of 
the European Union Constitution, calls on Turkey to 
eliminate all forms of discrimination, particularly 
those based on race or religion, and immediately— 
(A) grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate ap-
propriate international recognition and eccle-
siastic succession; 
(B) grant the Ecumenical Patriarchate the 
right to train clergy and to elect Holy Synod 
members from candidates of all nationalities, 
not limited to Turkish nationals, who fall under 
the international ecclesiastical jurisdiction of 
the Ecumenical Patriarchate; and 
(C) respect human rights and property 
rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; 
(2) calls on Turkey to pledge to uphold and 
safeguard religious and human rights without com-
promise; 
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(3) calls on Turkey to respect international law, 
European Union laws, and the basic tenets of 
human rights; and 
(4) expresses its view that Turkey must prove 
that it is ready to meet the criteria set forth by the 
Copenhagen European Council prior to its accession 
into the European Union. 
Æ 
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