US embassy cable - 04ISTANBUL401

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000401 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN PATRIARCH DISCUSSES ONGOING CONCERNS 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General David L. Arnett for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
 
 
d). 
 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II believes the 
run-up to a decision for Turkey on EU accession in December 
provides the best opportunity in years to get movement from 
the GoT on a variety of problems faced by minority 
communities, including church administration and property 
issues, clerical education, and security concerns.  To date 
Mesrob believes little real change has been effected, 
although Istanbul police have acted quickly against a website 
encouraging violent attacks against his community.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
2. (C) Consul General met with Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II, 
still recovering from a serious traffic accident, on March 
12.  Mesrob provided thoughtful insight into the challenges 
faced by the Armenian Orthodox Community in particular, and 
minority religions in general, in working with the Turkish 
bureaucracy.  Mesrob remains hopeful that there will be 
"positive changes in the near future, despite a recent 
hardening of GoT attitudes in some areas." 
 
 
How to Keep an Empty Church 
--------------------------- 
 
 
3. (U) Under current General Directorate of Foundations 
(Vakiflar Genel Mudurlugu, VGM) regulations, each church or 
synagogue in Turkey must have an administering foundation, 
typically a board of directors made up of parishioners.  In 
areas of Turkey where the population of a given minority is 
dwindling, it can often be impossible to find the minimum 
number of people (typically six) needed to administer the 
church or synagogue foundation in that locality.  Should the 
number fall below the minimum, the VGM eventually takes title 
to the church or synagogue, and any attached property, 
ostensibly for the purpose of safeguarding the property. 
 
 
4. (C) In practice, this safeguarding constitutes, at best, 
neglect.  The VGM has little money for use in the upkeep of 
vacant churches.  In several cases, churches taken over by 
the VGM were used in ways that were objected to by the 
minority community.  Minority communities have also alleged 
that VGM officials have used former church properties to 
enrich themselves or their friends. 
 
 
5. (U) As a possible remedy to the situation, Armenian and 
Jewish Community representatives have proposed on several 
occasions not requiring that board members be resident in the 
same district (ilce) as the church or synagogue.  Though GoT 
authorities have shown some flexibility, allowing residents 
of the same province (particularly in Istanbul) to serve on 
boards of foundations in districts other than their own, this 
has not extended to Turkey as a whole.  Mesrob believes that 
by allowing board members to serve on foundations elsewhere 
in Turkey, the churches and synagogues could better address 
their desire to preserve historically-significant, but not 
regularly-used, houses of worship. 
 
 
6. (C) In particular, Mesrob points to the Church of St. 
Gregory the Illuminator in Kayseri.  This church, built in 
what was believed to be the home town of St. Gregory (who 
converted the Armenians to Christianity, leading to Armenia 
becoming the first officially Christian state), has major 
historical significance for Armenians everywhere.  If the VGM 
were to take over, and then neglect or misuse the property, 
the Armenian Diaspora would object strenuously and publicly, 
he believes.  Though he has expressed such concerns directly 
to the GoT, no response has been forthcoming to his proposal 
for expanding eligibility for foundation board participation. 
 
 
No Halki for Armenians 
---------------------- 
 
 
7. (C) Mesrob discussed the status of the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate's negotiations with the GoT on reopening of 
Halki Seminary.  Mesrob believes that such negotiations have 
reached am impasse because the Greeks want the seminary to be 
classified as a "vocational school," something which would 
not/not put Halki under the authority of the Higher Board of 
Education (YOK).  (Note: Vocational schools still fall under 
the Ministry of Education.  Mesrob did not elaborate as to 
why the government preferred YOK as the appropriate 
authority.) 
 
 
8. (SBU) Though the Armenian Orthodox Community also has 
now-defunct seminaries which it could reopen if it also 
reached an agreement with the Ministry of Education and YOK, 
Mesrob says he has no desire to do so.  Mesrob says he 
intends to work with YOK to create some sort of theological 
faculty which would train future Armenian priests and 
teachers, as well as outsiders with an academic interest in 
Orthodox theology, for two years only.  He then hopes to send 
the candidates for the priesthood overseas for further, and 
more intensive, training. 
9. (SBU) Mesrob's attitude is the result of financial 
concerns.  He estimates that reopening a seminary in Istanbul 
would cost USD 400,000 per year.  Sending an average of 8-10 
students per year overseas for theological training costs USD 
15,000 to 20,000 per student, resulting in a net savings of 
USD 200,000 to 280,000.  Though Mesrob's proposal seems much 
closer to the Ministry of Education and YOK's wishes, there 
is no GoT movement to date. 
 
 
Internet Threats Ended 
---------------------- 
 
 
10. (C) Mesrob had previously raised with poloff security 
concerns regarding a web site 
(http://barbarian.sitemynet.com/PitbuLs/id6.h tm -- now 
defunct) which gave addresses and telephone numbers for 
Armenian churches, hospitals, and foundations, along with 
advice for how to make bombs, when best to attack, and what 
dates are religious holidays.  The site clearly planned to 
provide similar information in the future for Jews, 
Suriyanis, and "Ataturk Thought Associations," but had not 
yet gotten information for these. 
 
 
11. (C) Mesrob reported that Istanbul police had been very 
helpful in tracking and identifying the owner of the site, 
who was arrested and quickly sentenced to three years in 
prison.  Mesrob said that in the past, periodic small-scale 
attempts at attacking the Armenian Community had been largely 
unsuccessful, but pointed to a new security gate at the 
patriarchate as proof of continued vigilance. 
ARNETT