US embassy cable - 05ISTANBUL1825

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISTANBUL 001825 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE:  METROPOLITAN DOWNBEAT ON 
GOT INTENTIONS, EU ABILITY TO CHANGE THEM 
 
REF: A. ISTANBUL 1766 
 
     B. ANKARA 6316 
     C. 04 ISTANBUL 975 
     D. 04 ANKARA 6229 
     E. 04 ANKARA 3059 
 
Classified By: Consul General Deborah K. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, a 
senior advisor at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, expressed his 
skepticism October 13 to visiting EUR/SE Director Doug 
Silliman about the GOT's ability and willingness to move the 
Halki seminary issue forward.  Silliman underlined USG 
support for the Patriarchate, and noted that USG officials 
raise the issue of Halki Seminary often with senior 
government officials, as illustrated by President Bush's 
raising the issue in his June 2005 meeting with Prime 
Minister Erdogan.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Silliman inquired as to whether the discussion of 
the Halki issue might be included in the EU's Education and 
Culture chapter's screening, due to begin October 26.  Unlike 
Patriarch Bartholomew I, Meliton evinced little optimism on 
Minister of Education Celik's latest remarks on Halki (ref 
A), or about the EU's ability to push Turkey forward on this 
issue.  There has been nothing new from the GOT, he said:  no 
dialogue, no movement, no will (Note:  See ref B for Higher 
Education Council Chairman Tezic's October 17 comments to 
Charge.  End note.).  He aso mentioned the Patriarchate had 
written to Alvro Gil-Robles, the Council of Europe's 
Commissioer orHumn ighs,an received no reply.  He 
el tht e ad o oin f contact on the Europea 
Commission. 
 
3.  (C)  Meliton stressed the plitical nature of the 
government's approach to te seminary issue, arguing it has 
nothing to do wth the technical and legal aspects of finding 
a orkable solution.  If the political will is found,the 
right formula will emere,he ai, adng ht either the 
Higher Educaio Concl (OK, wth authority over 
universities in Turkey, or the Ministry of Education could 
serve equally well as an institutional umbrella for the 
seminary.  (Note:  This contradicts what we have heard most 
often from Patriarchate representatives, i.e. that a seminary 
under YOK control would not be acceptable.  End note.) 
 
4.  (C)  Comment:  Meliton commented that he used to be 
"courageous," but that he had lost hope that Turkish 
officials would respond to the Patriarchate's concerns -- 
some of them life and death issues for the community's 
survival.  Meanwhile, some observers in the Turkish press 
have linked the re-opening of Halki seminary with the 
imam-hatip school issue (ref d).  (Note:  Halki had 
functioned previously as a vocational school, the same status 
that imam-hatip schools enjoy.  End note.) 
 
5.  (C)  It is conceivable that some within the GOT could 
seize upon the Halki issue to move forward their agenda on 
imam-hatip schools, but any proposed formula for Halki's 
re-opening that inadvertently strengthens the status of those 
schools and their graduates would be sure to raise the 
hackles of the secular community.  Interestingly, public 
visits by U.S. officials to imam-hatip schools was one of the 
suggestions made by Cuneyd Zapsu, an advisor to Prime 
Minister Erdogan, to visiting Under Secretary Karen Hughes, 
as a means of countering accusations in a recent Washington 
Times editorial that the AKP had "islamo-facist" tendencies. 
End Comment. 
JONES