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AHI's Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Action Alert

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Washington, D.C,'s American Hellenic Institute has published the following Action Alert, regarding H.R. 4347 Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act.

The organization's full text can be read below:

Contact U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Members--Urge Them To Support H.R.4347, Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act

TO:
AHI Chapter Presidents, Congressional Contact Team Leaders, Members and Friends

FROM:
Nick Larigakis, AHI President

DATE:
June 20, 2014

Re:
CONTACT U.S. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERS – URGE THEM TO SUPPORT H.R.4347, TURKEY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; INCLUDES HALKI RESOLUTION

BACKGROUND
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced H.R.4347, Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act, on March 28, 2014.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has identified the Republic of Turkey as a leading violator of religious freedom, placing its Christian minorities in an especially vulnerable position. Although Turkey regards itself as a secular democracy, the restrictions placed upon its religious minorities, especially Christians, deny freedom of religious expression and practice of faith.

Further by expropriation of church properties and refusing to grant full legal status to a number of Christian groups, Turkey has failed to fulfill its international obligation as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for "freedom of thought, conscience, and religion."

The bill, H.R.4347, requires "the Secretary of State to provide an annual report to Congress regarding United States Government efforts to survey and secure the return, protection, and restoration of stolen, confiscated, or otherwise unreturned Christian properties in the Republic of Turkey and in those areas currently occupied by the Turkish military in northern Cyprus."

H.R.4347 will be amended to include H.Res.188, which is Congressman Gus Bilirakis's resolution calling upon Turkey to facilitate the reopening of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Theological School of Halki without condition or further delay.

STATUS
When the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee convenes this Thursday, June 26, 10:30 a.m., it will hold a mark-up of H.R.4347, which means a vote is expected on the bill by the Committee.

ACTION
We urge you to contact members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and ask them to support H.R.4347, as amended, which demands Turkish accountability for the return, protection, and restoration of stolen and confiscated Christian properties in Turkey and in Turkish-occupied Cyprus; and calls for the reopening of the Halki Seminary.

Ask to speak with the U.S. Representative's Legislative Director or Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant.
Urge them to support H.R.4347, as amended.

Ask them to support U.S. principles by taking a stand in support of the rights of Christians in present-day Turkey to practice their faith in their own houses of worship.

NOTE: Please send a copy of your correspondence, or provide notice of a phone call made, to Georgea Polizos at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..