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ANKARA: Anti-Turkey Bill At Congress Mobilizes Turks In Washington

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  • ANKARA: Anti-Turkey Bill At Congress Mobilizes Turks In Washington

    ANTI-TURKEY BILL AT CONGRESS MOBILIZES TURKS IN WASHINGTON

    Today's Zaman
    July 19 2011
    Turkey

    The prospects of adopting a recently introduced bill which blames
    the Ottoman Empire for "intentional destruction" of its Christian
    population and which calls on the Republic of Turkey to "safeguard
    its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties"
    have mobilized both Turkish officials and the Turkish community living
    in the US capital.

    Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs are set to amend
    the State Department authorization bill with language similar to that
    of H.Res.306 -- the "Return of Churches" resolution spearheaded by Rep.

    Ed Royce (R-CA) and Howard Berman (D-CA), both members of the Committee
    on Foreign Affairs.

    In order to be adopted, the amendments need to be approved by both
    the House of Representatives and the Senate. Observers say even
    if the House approves the bill, the amendment concerning Turkey
    is likely to be rejected by the Senate. Still, with both Ankara and
    Turkish-Americans not wanting to take any chances, an intense lobbying
    campaign against the bill has been set in motion.

    Turkish, Azerbaijani and other Turkic-American groups have been
    holding talks with members of the Congress, while the Turkish Embassy
    in Washington has mobilized its official lobbyists to lobby against
    the bill.

    A number of Armenian and Greek-American groups have, however, been
    lending strong support to the bill.

    The resolution, which has been included in the State Department
    authorization bill, urges the Turkish government 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 community gatherings, social services, including ministry
    to the needs of the poor and infirm, and other religious activities;
    return to their rightful owners all Christian 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;
    and allow the rightful Christian church and lay owners of Christian
    church properties, without hindrance or restriction, to preserve,
    reconstruct, and repair, as they see fit, all Christian churches and
    other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, monuments,
    relics, holy sites, and other religious properties within Turkey."


    From: Baghdasarian
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