US senators say “a gesture of goodwill” is not enough and urge Turkey to return Christian churches

By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
12/3/2012

Three American Republican senators have drafted a resolution, urging Turkey “to return to their rightful owners all Christian churches” as well as to “end all forms of religious discrimination.”

Last December a similar resolution was adopted by the House of Representatives of the US Congress. The Armenian lobbyist organizations considered the adoption of the resolution by the House of Representatives to be a “historical victory,” emphasizing that it was the victory of religious freedom.

Resolution 392 of the Senate which refers to the return of Armenian, Greek and Assyrian churches, is submitted by three senators to the US Senate – Scott Brown (R-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). The resolution urges to return to rightful owners their confiscated Christian church properties, including “churches and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, monuments, relics, holy sites, and other religious properties, including movable properties, such as artwork, manuscripts, vestments, vessels, and other artifacts.”

Besides, the senators urge Turkey “to allow the rightful church and lay owners of Christian church properties, without hindrance or restriction, to organize and administer prayer services, religious education, clerical training, appointments, and succession, religious gatherings, social services, including ministry to the needs of the poor and infirm, and other religious activities.”

It is not clear yet when this new resolution will appear in the plenary session of the Senate (it must be discussed and approved by the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate), however, it could happen by November.

According to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) office in Washington, more than 2,000 Armenian churches were destroyed in Ottoman Turkey during the Armenian Genocide. Currently the Armenian churches there do not work; they are either ruined or are used as storehouses.

Some, such as Saint Akhtamar, in 2007, have been repaired, however, Turkey never returns those churches to the religious communities to which they belong. Instead, they are turned into museums.

As “a gesture of goodwill” the Turkish authorities have allowed liturgy to be held once a year at Saint Akhtamar.

Source: