US embassy cable - 03ISTANBUL1347

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH (FINALLY) MEETS WITH AKP 
MINISTERS 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General David L. Arnett for reasons 1.5 (b) and ( 
 
 
d). 
 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I met with 
FonMin Abdullah Gul and IntMin Abdulkadir Aksu on August 8 
and 12, respectively.  Though both ministers publicly and 
warmly received Bartholomew, the meetings did not yield any 
concrete steps forward on property issues or recognition of 
the Patriarch's ecumenical status.  Much ground remains to be 
covered in resolving property and recognition problems.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
 
Bartholomew meets with Gul 
-------------------------- 
 
 
2. (C) The Ecumenical Patriarchate requested formal meetings 
with the new government months ago, but Bartholomew was only 
received on August 8 by FonMin Abdullah Gul and on August 12 
by IntMin Abdulkadir Aksu (note: this meeting follows a 
personal appeal by Greek FonMin Papandreou during a recent 
visit to Istanbul).  Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, 
who attended the meetings with Gul and with Aksu, reported 
that Gul warmly received the Patriarch, who made a brief 
presentation about the activities of the Patriarchate both 
within Turkey and internationally.  Bartholomew then 
discussed the many property issues which have been 
problematic for the Greek community and Patriarchate for many 
years.  Per Meliton, Gul professed surprise at the extent to 
which the General Directorate for Foundations had caused the 
Patriarchate problems, and requested further information on 
the Patriarchate's complaints.  After further legal 
explanation by Keban Hatemi, attorney for the Patriarchate 
who was also in attendance, Gul said that the AK government 
is working on new policies and regulations intended to make 
improvements in religious freedom in Turkey, for Muslims and 
all believers.  At the conclusion of the meeting, Gul 
reiterated to reporters that he had promised to continue 
working with the Patriarchate on property issues, including 
re-opening the Halki Seminary. 
 
 
Aksu Blames the State 
--------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) Like Gul, Aksu voiced a willingness to work with the 
Patriarchate and a recognition of past injustices to the 
religious minorities.  Meliton reported that Aksu said past 
problems were the result of "a consolidated state policy," 
and hoped that "in time healthier conditions will be formed 
to solve these problems."  Aksu, per Meliton, said that past 
judicial decisions against minority foundations "are not 
befitting of democratic institutions." 
 
 
No 'Ecumenical' For a While 
--------------------------- 
 
 
4. (C) Meliton said that, in a brief interchange, Gul asked 
the Patriarch to continue supporting Turkey in the public 
sphere, as the current climate was difficult for Turkey.  Per 
Meliton, the Patriarch said that as a Turkish citizen, he had 
always voiced strong support for Turkey in national and 
international settings.  However, he had also been honest 
about the problems (property issues and ecumenical status) he 
encounters.  Gul, and later Aksu, both made a request that 
the Patriarch not use the title Ecumenical until January, 
2004.  Aksu said that the reason for this was that PM Erdogan 
was planning to attend a meeting in Istanbul of the European 
Popular Party in October of this year, (a conference the 
Patriarch typically participates in), but would be unable if 
conference materials used the Ecumenical title. 
 
 
5. (C) Per Meliton, the Patriarch told Gul that he could not 
disavow the ecumenical status of the Patriarch, which had 
been recognized since the 6th century, but that he would, as 
a show of good faith, ask that the title not be printed in 
conference materials.  However, Bartholomew said, he could 
not prevent other conference attendees from using the title 
in referring to him.  Meliton said that Gul was not very 
happy with this response.  Meliton also noted that Gul said 
two FonMin ambassadors might be sent to the conference in 
Erdogan's place. 
 
 
Media Reaction 
-------------- 
 
 
6. (C) Extensive press coverage and commentary, particularly 
following the Gul meeting, focused primarily on the possible 
opening of the Halki Seminary.  The more right-wing 
nationalist press greeted the prospect with predictable 
paranoid hostility while some of the liberal columnists 
magnanimously welcomed the idea.  The Islamist press, 
meanwhile, was also warm to the idea, while the die-hard 
secularist writers openly warned that AK and its Islamist 
supporters sought only to use Halki to establish a precedent 
for loosening state control of Islamic education and training. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
 
7. (C) Despite the delay in receiving Bartholomew, these 
meetings may be a positive sign that the new government, as 
it moves aggressively to advance EU harmonization reforms, 
will also take further steps to improve the situation of 
Turkey's religious minority communities.  Even assuming the 
government is well-intentioned, however (and does not intend 
to use the minorities as a foil for a separate Islamic 
agenda), addressing the difficult property and religious 
freedom issues and pressing the state bureaucracy to change 
its behavior will be a long, uphill struggle. 
ARNETT