US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7976

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 007976 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2008 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: GOT CANCELS PLAN TO EXPROPRIATE BAHA'I PROPERTY 
 
 
Classified by Charge Robert Deutsch; reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Local officials in Edirne canceled an order 
to expropriate a site sacred to followers of the Baha'i 
faith, apparently ending a 10-year dispute over the property. 
Baha'i contacts in Ankara and Istanbul said high-level GOT 
officials asked for the cancellation.  End Summary. 
 
 
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Baha'i Seek NSC Support 
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2. (C) Representatives of Turkey's Baha'i Community learned 
in November that local authorities in Edirne were taking the 
Community to court in order to seize the title of a property 
sacred to the Baha'i, who claim about 10,000 adherents in 
Turkey.  The court case threatened to bring an end to the 
Baha'i's long-running efforts to regain ownership of the 
property, a former home of the Baha'i prophet Baha'u'llah. 
The Culture Ministry granted cultural heritage status to the 
site in 1993, but the Education Ministry in 2000 notified the 
Baha'i Community that it intended to expropriate the property 
for use by an adjacent primary school.  The property had been 
tied up in legal disputes ever since.  Cuneyt Can, Baha'i 
Community External Affairs Representative, told Embassy 
Poloff that Community members contacted retired former 
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Kilinc when 
they learned of the latest court case, scheduled for December 
11.  Kilinc said he would line up support for the Baha'i 
within the NSC, which has opposed the Baha'i at times in the 
past, and promised to contact Justice Minister Cicek and 
other top GOT officials. 
 
 
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Expropriation Canceled 
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3. (C) While it is not clear what role Kilinc may have 
played, Baha'i leaders heard from various sources that FM Gul 
discussed the property issue with Education Minister Celik 
during a joint trip to Kayseri in November.  Gul reportedly 
told Celik he wanted the matter resolved.  In early December 
Baha'i Community representatives met with Celik, who called 
the Edirne Governor on the spot and asked him if the Baha'i 
property was needed for the adjacent school.  When the 
Governor said it wasn't, Celik asked him to rescind the 
expropriation order. 
 
 
4. (U) Can said it now appears that the Baha'i Community will 
be able to complete its plans for improving the property, 
essentially a small garden with some remains of the original 
home.  Lawyers for the Baha'i have a copy of the Edirne City 
Council's unanimous decision to rescind the expropriation 
order, and municipal officials have contacted the Community 
to begin the process of retrieving the money the municipality 
gave to the Community as compensation for the planned 
expropriation.  According to Baha'i attorneys, the prosecutor 
in the expropriation case stated at the December 11 hearing 
that the case should be dismissed -- the Baha'i are awaiting 
a written record of a court decision to dismiss.  Once the 
Baha'i Community formally regains ownership of the site, it 
plans to improve the garden and build a two-story visitors 
center on the property. 
 
 
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Thanks for U.S. Support 
----------------------- 
 
 
5. (SBU) Speaking to Consulate Istanbul Poloff, Susan Merter, 
Baha'i Community Secretary General, thanked the U.S. Mission 
for its support throughout the 10-year impasse.  Merter felt 
strongly that visits to the Edirne site by USG officials had 
demonstrated to the GOT the human rights aspect of the 
expropriation.  Merter said U.S. efforts had encouraged other 
missions in Turkey to support the Baha'i.  Can said one MFA 
official said he hoped the resolution of the dispute would 
help improve Turkey's image in the Department's International 
Religious Freedom Report. 
 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) The property dispute reflects the Turkish State's deep 
suspicion of non-Muslim religions, as well as its 
all-encompassing concept of national security.  While Kilinc 
may have played a positive role in this latest development, 
at least one previous effort to resolve the issue was quashed 
when, according to Baha'i contacts, the NSC ruled against it. 
 Meanwhile, the Baha'i continue to raise concerns on other 
fronts, including efforts to regain expropriated property in 
Istanbul and to have "Baha'i" included among the religions 
listed on birth certificates. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDELMAN