US based Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) released a press report reacting to the double standards against Turkey about religious freedoms and so called prejudices against Christians. The report, which also includes very important statistics about religius freedom in Turkey, Armenia, Greece and Southern Cyprus, is as follows;
The Turkish Coalition of America would like to draw your attention to an egregious double standard currently being employed to unfairly paint Turkey as a place of limited religious freedom and to portray Turks as having anti-Christian prejudices.
We use the term double standard because Armenian American and Greek American activists rush to highlight alleged religious discrimination in Turkey, a proudly secular country, by promoting legislation like H. Res. 306 and H. Res. 2597, but sweep under the rug far more egregious instances of religious discrimination in neighboring countries, particularly Armenia and Greece.
Earlier this month, after U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone testified at his Senate confirmation hearing, Armenian American activists criticized him for implying to the Senate that there have been significant improvements in the relationship between the various religious groups residing in Turkey.
Reports on these issues ignore the meaningful steps Turkey has taken in the last decade to restore Christian and Jewish heritage sites. And such reports are completely at odds with the major announcement, made on August 29, that Turkey would return hundreds of properties that were confiscated from religious minorities by the state or other parties over the years since 1936, and would pay compensation for properties that were seized and later sold.
Nor is any attention paid to the fact that Athens, Greece remains the only European capital without a mosque. Likewise, the fact that there is only one functioning mosque in Armenia, where there used to be hundreds, arouses no curiosity. Facts are important to any debate, and the recent attacks on Ambassador Ricciardone and promotion of Congressional legislation on the issue lack factual context.
This double standard matters, because current efforts by anti-Turkish activists are aimed at derailing the U.S.’s invaluable relationship with its NATO ally Turkey. U.S. interests are at stake and they should not be held hostage by historical disputes and biases that traffic in prejudice.
Religious Freedom in Turkey, Greece, Armenia, and Greek Cyprus
Turkey:
• There are 101 places of worship for the less than 5,000 Greek Orthodox citizens in Turkey.
• There are 55 Armenian churches (Gregorian, Catholic and Protestant) in Turkey open to religious services for the approximately 60,000 Armenian citizens of Turkey.
• There are 36 synagogues for the approximately 25,000 Jewish citizens of Turkey.
• Turkey was the first country to implement a property verdict by the European Court of Human Rights, returning a historical orphanage to the Greek Orthodox community.
• Turkey restored 12 Christian and Jewish heritage sites from 2003-2010, and restoration continues at two synagogues, two monasteries and three churches. The most notable Christian heritage sites restored by Turkey are the Akdamar Armenian church in Van and the Osk Vank Georgian church near Erzurum.
• A major restoration project is currently being undertaken by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and the World Monuments Fund to restore the historical Armenian heritage site of Ani in Kars, including the Ani Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Savior.
Armenia
• There is only one functioning mosque in all of Armenia, the Blue Mosque (Goy Mescit) in Yerevan, and one semi-destroyed non-functioning one, also in Yerevan. They are all that remains of the more than 200 mosques that existed in the late 19th century within what are now the modern borders of Armenia.
• According to a July 2011 report by Forum 18, a Christian religious freedom watchdog, “Armenia's religious minorities face barriers to their exercising freedom of religion or belief from senior officials, politicians, media outlets and priests of the dominant Armenian Apostolic Church.” In addition, both the Collaboration For Democracy Centre and the Helsinki Committee of Armenia have documented numerous instances of official and media intolerance, leading to denials of freedom of religion or belief.
Greece
• Athens is the only European capital without an officially sanctioned mosque. There are also no mosques in Thessaloniki, though the current mayor has pledged to build one.
• Turkish mosques and cemeteries in Greece are frequently vandalized and desecrated, the perpetrators escape justice.
• Turks in Greece are prevented from operating pious foundations, resulting in the confiscation or neglect of their properties. Turks in Greece are frequently prevented from repairing their mosques and other religious sites. There are cases of prison sentences and fines being handed down for attempting to repair a mosque.
• Turkish historical and cultural heritage sites in Greece are neglected. The historic Fethiye Mosque in Athens is in disrepair and has remained closed despite Turkey’s offers to help with the restoration.
• Greece does not recognize its Macedonian minority in Greece and does not allow the Macedonian Church to function in Greece.
Greek Cyprus
• 16 of the 106 mosques in Greek Cyprus were totally ruined, while another 61 are deserted and falling apart. There are only 2 active mosques in Greek Cyprus, but both are without clergy due to Greek Cypriot restrictions.
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