257 
grams and activities in helping achieve an agreement be-
tween Greece and the FYROM on an acceptable name for 
the FYROM. 
SEC. 1103. STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING THE ECU-
MENICAL PATRIARCHATE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the spir-
itual home of the world’s oldest and second largest 
Christian Church. 
(2) Within the 2,000 year old Sacred See of the 
Ecumenical Patriarchate, the New Testament was 
codified and the Nicene Creed was created. 
(3) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one 
of the world’s preeminent spiritual leaders and 
peacemakers representing over 300 million Orthodox 
Christians worldwide. 
(4) The disappearance of the Sacred 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. 
(5) The Ecumenical Patriarchate has a record 
of reaching out and working for peace and reconcili-
ation amongst all faiths and has fostered dialogue 
among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. 
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258 
(6) 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.’’. 
(7) The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew 
stated in Brussels in 2004, ‘‘The Ecumenical Patri-
archate 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.’’. 
(8) The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has 
called for the admission of Turkey into the Euro-
pean Union because, ‘‘. . . it may provide a concrete 
example and a powerful symbol of mutually bene-
ficial cooperation between the western and Islamic 
worlds and put an end to the talk of the clash of civ-
ilizations. This in turn would be a true strength-
ening of Europe and the European ideals that con-
verge with the values of the ‘pilgrims of the book’ 
spoken of by the current Prime Minister of Tur-
key.’’. 
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(9) In 1993 the European Union defined the 
membership criteria for accession to the European 
Union at the Copenhagen European Council, obli-
gating 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. 
(10) Under the terms of the draft European 
Union Constitution, current, and prospective mem-
ber states should have the goal of eliminating dis-
crimination based on sex, race, color, ethnic or social 
origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, 
political or any other opinion, membership of a na-
tional minority, property, birth, disability, age, or 
sexual orientation. 
(11) The Turkish Constitution secures religious 
rights for all Turkish citizens. 
(12) The Government of Turkey has failed to 
recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s inter-
national status. 
(13) The Government of Turkey has limited to 
Turkish nationals the candidates available to the 
Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church for selec-
tion as the Ecumenical Patriarchate and reneged on 
its agreement to reopen the Theological School at 
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260 
Halki, thus impeding training for the Orthodox cler-
gy in Turkey. 
(14) The Government of Turkey has confiscated 
75 percent of the Ecumenical Patriarchate prop-
erties and has placed a 42 percent retroactive tax on 
the Balukli Hospital of Istanbul which is operated 
by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
(15) The European Council has agreed to open 
accession negotiations with Turkey, conditional upon 
the continuation by Turkey of reform processes to 
increase protection and support for human rights 
and civil liberties. 
(b) STATEMENT
OF POLICY.—The United States 
calls on the Republic of Turkey to— 
(1) based on the goals set forth in the draft of 
the European Union Constitution, 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 of all nationalities, not just 
Turkish nationals; and 
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261 
(C) respect the human rights and property 
rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; 
(2) pledge to uphold and safeguard religious 
and human rights without compromise; 
(3) continue the achievement of processes and 
programs to modernize and democratize its society; 
and 
(4) respect international law and the basic te-
nets of human rights. 
SEC. 1104. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009’’. 
(b) INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE-
LATING TO FREEDOM OF THE PRESS WORLDWIDE IN AN-
NUAL COUNTRY REPORTS
ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRAC-
TICES.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)), as 
amended by section 333(d) of this Act— 
(A) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (12), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
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