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Viewing cable 08ISTANBUL493, STAFFDEL MAKOVSKY HEARS PRAISE FOR ERDOGAN FROM

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ISTANBUL493 2008-09-15 13:24 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Consulate Istanbul
VZCZCXRO2925
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHIT #0493/01 2591324
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151324Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8473
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000493 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PREL TU OSCE AA
SUBJECT: STAFFDEL MAKOVSKY HEARS PRAISE FOR ERDOGAN FROM 
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE 
 
REF: A. ISTANBUL 381 
     B. ISTANBUL 238 
 
Classified By: Classified by Consul General Sharon A. Wiener for reason 
s 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary. On 3 September a House Foreign Relations 
Committee Staff delegation led by Alan Makovsky discussed the 
situation of the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate with 
Father Dositheos, Press Relations Chair for the Patriarchate. 
While the situation of Halki Seminary has not improved, 
Dositheos praised Erdogan for the democratic balance he 
provides in a potentially "dangerous" situation. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Father Dositheos described the Greek Orthodox 
community in Turkey as one in which 60 percent of its 3000 
members are over the age of 50. In explaining the Turkish 
Foundations Law (Ref A) to Makovsky, Father Dositheos said 
the Greek Orthodox community currently has 48 foundations 
(administrative boards that manage churches and Greek 
Orthodox property in Turkey), and the GOT "occupies" 20 of 
the 48.  An "occupied" foundation is one in which the GOT has 
removed the majority of the elected board members and 
replaced them with the GOT's own selection. 
 
3. (U) Contrary to recent reports in the domestic press, 
according to Father Dositheos the Turkish government 
continues to block the active participation of non-Turkish 
metropolitans in the Holy Synod assemblies. In 2004 the GOT 
permitted two non-Turkish metropolitans to observe - but not 
to vote in - the assembly. Fourteen of the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate's 62 metropolitans throughout the world are 
Turkish. 
 
HALKI SEMINARY: STATIC SITUATION 
-------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Makovsky suggested the GOT may be refusing to act on 
Halki until Greece permits the Muslim minority in Western 
Thrace to elect their own muftis. Father Dositheos replied 
that muftis are considered public servants, paid by the GOG, 
and therefore should not be elected.  He added that muftis in 
Turkey are also not elected by their congregation but instead 
appointed by the Prime Minister.  Even though not critical of 
Prime Minister Erdogan, Father Dositheos stressed that he 
does "not believe in the honesty of the Turkish government," 
noting that when Chancellor Merkel visited from Germany, 
Father Dositheos acted as the interpreter for her meeting 
with the Ecumenical Patriarch.  She explained to the 
Patriarch that Erdogan had told her "the Greeks wish to open 
a school in Turkey but we (the Turks) cannot even open a 
mosque in Greece." She reported that when asked if he would 
reopen Halki should a mosque be built in Greece, he responded 
saying "the two things are different." 
 
5. (U) The Patriarchate refused the GOT "offer" to take over 
the seminary in 1971, as "Halki would have continued as the 
Turks wished and it would not have produced priests," 
according to Father Dositheos. For this reason, when pressed 
to elaborate, he explained the Patriarchate closed the 
seminary. Ideally, he said, Halki would run as it did prior 
to 1964, when foreign students were allowed to attend 
religious institutions in Turkey. At that time, 70 percent of 
the Halki seminarians were foreign and it operated as a 
foundation with a Turkish Muslim assistant director. 
 
POSITIVE IMPRESSION OF ERDOGAN 
------------------------------ 
 
6. (C) Despite his distrust of the GOT, Father Dositheos 
praised Prime Minister Erdogan as a valuable democratic 
leader - one the U.S. should do its best to support. He noted 
that Erdogan has brought some freedom to religious dialogue 
during his tenure in office (ref B). Before Erdogan, he says, 
those who work at the Patriarchate could not speak openly 
about their concerns without fear of persecution.  Father 
Dositheos views Erdogan simply as a balanced representative 
of those who want to embrace a more traditional Turkish 
system of administration and be free of the old chains of 
Kemalism. Toward this goal, Erdogan is proceeding cautiously 
to avoid backlash from the Kemalists. Without Erdogan, he 
contends, Turkey would become instable and ultra 
nationalistic. 
 
 
7. (U) Comment: Father Dositheos did not stray from the 
 
ISTANBUL 00000493  002 OF 002 
 
 
Patriarchate's well-worn path regarding Halki Seminary. His 
comments in support of PM Erdogan's limited moves to expand 
rights for religious minorities also track with previous 
Patriarchate comments.  However, these improvements are 
unlikely to be sufficient to stem the decline of the Greek 
Orthodox minority community in Turkey. End Comment. 
 
8.  Staff delegation Makovsky did not have an opportunity to 
clear this cable. 
WIENER