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AAA: House Foreign Affairs Cmte Passes Turkey Christian Churches Acc

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  • AAA: House Foreign Affairs Cmte Passes Turkey Christian Churches Acc

    PRESS RELEASE
    June 26, 2014


    ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
    Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone: (202) 393-3434
    Web: www.aaainc.org


    HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE PASSES TURKEY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
    ACCOUNTABILITY ACT


    H.R. 4347 Requires the U.S. Secretary of State to issue an annual report
    to Congress on the fate of Christian properties in Turkey



    WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC)
    adopted H.R. 4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act,
    reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The legislation was
    approved by voice vote, with amendments.

    Introduced by HFAC Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel
    (D-NY) in March, H.R. 4347 requires that the Secretary of State, on an
    annual basis, `submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
    Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a
    report on the status and return of stolen, confiscated, or otherwise
    unreturned Christian churches, places of worship, and other properties in
    or from the Republic of Turkey and in northern Cyprus,' until the year 2021.

    `We commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their strong
    support of Armenian American issues and their vigilance in standing up for
    religious minorities in Turkey,' stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan
    Ardouny. `It's not that more should be done. More must be done to protect
    Armenian, Greek, Assyrian and other Christian minorities, their properties,
    and their right to practice their religion in their ancestral home,'
    Ardouny said.

    `I have long been concerned that Christian heritage sites in Turkey have
    been deteriorating and disappearing in the face of hostile government
    policies,' Chairman Royce said. `Despite optimistic claims
    by Turkish
    leaders, a majority of religious properties remain unreturned. There is
    even legislation before the Turkish Parliament to convert the landmark
    Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum to a mosque. The U.S. must hold
    Turkish leaders to their promises. By passing this legislation, the U.S.
    sends a message to Turkey that it must return church properties to their
    rightful owners, while providing an objective measure of their progress
    each year.'

    In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Engel recognized Archbishop Vicken
    Aykazian, Diocesan Legate of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and
    Eastern Prelacy Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, who were both on hand to
    witness the committee vote.

    In addition to Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, Reps. Chris Smith
    (R-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), David Cicilline
    (D-RI), Albio Sires (R-NJ), and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) also spoke in favor
    of H.R. 4347.

    However, the bill was heavily opposed before and during today's committee
    vote. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) issued a letter last Friday calling on his
    colleagues to oppose H.R. 4347. After days of working with committee
    members to address their concerns, Chairman Royce offered an amended
    version of H.R. 4347 at the beginning of the vote, which includes 15 new
    findings and a new section that recognizes `some positive decisions last
    year by the Turkish government.' Yet, despite the Chairman's accommodation
    of additional language, Connolly proposed an amendment during the vote that
    would have stripped the bill of virtually all of its findings. `I am
    fearful,' Connolly said, restating the false adage that `now is not the
    time' and indicating that `we need Turkey.' Congressman Gregory Meeks
    (D-NY) voiced his support for the Connolly amendment and his strong
    opposition to H.R. 4347.

    In response, Chairman Royce emphasized that previous attempts to find a
    solution, `have not resulted in progress,' and that Turkey
    has been
    `haphazard' in returning confiscated religious property. Ranking Member
    Engel, as well as Reps. Cicilline and Lowenthal, also spoke in opposition
    to the Connolly amendment and voiced their strong support for H.R. 4347.

    Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) rebuked those opposing the bill, saying `we should
    not be fearful' of Turkey, reminding his colleagues that fear =80=9Cinvites
    impunity.' `If we have the inability to speak out against human rights
    abuses then shame on us,' Smith said. `Friends don't let friends commit
    human rights abuses,' he added. If you mention the Armenian Genocide in
    Turkey `the Gulag will be at your door,' Smith exclaimed, as he banged his
    fist on the desk. `The sword of Damocles hangs over churches in Turkey,'
    Smith said.

    Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) also spoke passionately in support of H.R. 4347,
    recalling that after the Turkish government threatened to curtail its trade
    relations with France for recognizing the Armenian Genocide, trade between
    the two countries increased three-fold. The Connolly amendment was defeated
    in a voice vote.

    Following the Connolly amendment, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Rep. George
    Holding (R-NC) offered amendments to H.R. 4347 that were adopted by voice
    vote. These amendments added language further diluting the spirit of the
    bill while simultaneously affording greater acclaim to the Turkish
    government for half-measures taken after a century of abuses.

    A copy of H.R. 4347, as amended, is available here. The Grayson amendment
    is available here, and the Holding amendment is available here.

    Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
    Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
    awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
    membership organization.

    ###

    NR: # 2014-037

    Photo Caption 1: (Top) HFAC Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA); (Bottom) HFAC Ranking
    Member Eliot Engel (D-NY).

    Photo Caption 2: Armenian Assembly interns with Executive Director Bryan
    Ardouny, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, and Armenian religious dignitaries
    after today's HFAC vote.


    Photo Caption 3: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
    Available online: http://bit.ly/UNolL9




    From: A. Papazian
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