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PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHIT #0326/01 2311539
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191539Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9142
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000326 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV TU GR OSCE
SUBJECT: PATRIARCHATE,S READOUT OF PM ERDOGAN AND PATRIARCH 
MEETING 
 
REF: A. ISTANBUL 323 
     ¶B. 08 ISTANBUL 382 
     ¶C. 07 ISTANBUL 873 
 
Classified By: DPO Win Dayton for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. Summary. (C) Press officer for the Ecumenical Patriarchate 
Father Dositheos on August 18 elaborated to poloff about the 
August 15 conversation between Prime Minister Erdogan and the 
Ecumenical Patriarch (Ref A).  Dositheos reported that during 
his visit to the Greek sites on the island (the first by a 
Turkish Prime Minister), Erdogan implied to the Patriarch 
that the non-Turkish members of the Holy Synod should apply 
for Turkish citizenship. He also requested the Patriarch's 
help in attaining greater rights for the Muslim minority in 
Greece while commenting positively on the Patriarchate's 
intended use of the Buyukada Orphanage facility. European 
attendees at the lunch suggested that the United States 
played and continues to play a significant role in the GOT's 
recent movements toward democratic reform.  End summary. 
 
Buyukada Orphanage Still Not in Patriarchate's Hands 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2. (C) According to Dositheos, the group toured the Buyukada 
Orphanage.  In July 2008 the European Court of Human Rights 
entered judgment in favor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and 
against the Government of Turkey (GOT) in a case concerning 
the Patriarchate's title to this former orphanage that had 
been annulled by the Turkish authorities (ref B).  According 
to Dositheos, the GOT has yet to hand over the property title 
to the Patriarchate. He acknowledged that the delay may be 
due to the need to convert the property's foundation status 
from mazbut (controlled by the GOT) to one fully controlled 
by a Greek Orthodox community foundation. Erdogan reportedly 
replied that he would be happy to see the orphanage facility 
used as a center of ecological studies and interfaith 
dialogue as the Patriarch planned, and he then gathered his 
ministers together for a private discussion that lasted 
several minutes, according to Dositheos.  He had not yet 
learned of the content of this discussion, he said. 
 
The Question of the Holy Synod and Succession 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (C) Dositheos reported that during the walk, lawyer Kezban 
Hatemi (one of the event's organizers), told Erdogan that one 
of the biggest mistakes of the Turkish state was to "neglect 
the rights of the country's minorities and to violate the 
Lausanne Treaty." Erdogan replied by asking if the GOT's 
implicit approval of the six non-Turkish members of the 
Patriarchate's Holy Synod should be considered a violation of 
the Lausanne Treaty, Dositheos said (Ref C).  (Note: The 
members of the Holy Synod elect the next Ecumenical Patriarch 
from among their ranks. According to a mandate from the 
Istanbul Governorship in 1923 and 1970, the members of the 
Synod must be Turkish citizens as the Patriarch must be a 
Turkish citizen. End note.) Erdogan reportedly said, "We 
overlooked the appointments out of love and concern for our 
Greek Orthodox brothers" and then asked the Patriarch why the 
Patriarchate has not pursued obtaining Turkish citizenship 
for any of the six non-Turkish appointees. Dositheos said the 
Patriarch did not respond to this question. 
 
Erdogan Requests Greater Rights for Muslim Minority in Greece 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶4. (C) According to Dositheos, Erdogan later asked the 
Patriarch to request of Greek Foreign Minister Dora 
Bakoyannis that the mosque in Athens be completed and the 
Turkish minority in Thrace be given more rights, including 
the right to elect the community's imams. Dositheos said the 
Patriarch responded that he has always asked for greater 
rights for the Muslims in Greece. 
 
Touching upon Halki 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Dositheos said that the Patriarch had gestured to 
Heybeli Island during the walk and said, "That building 
there, the Halki seminary, belongs to us."  Erdogan responded 
that "by the beginning of the academic year the problem would 
be resolved." Dositheos commented that he does not know what 
"problem" would be resolved and noted that Erdogan said no 
more on the topic within the group. However, the Patriarch 
and Erdogan spoke together privately for fifteen minutes. 
 
ISTANBUL 00000326  002 OF 002 
 
 
When Dositheos asked what was discussed, the Patriarch only 
said "we feel hopeful" but nothing more. When the two 
rejoined the group, the Patriarch invited Erdogan to visit 
the Patriarchate and Halki.  The Prime Minister did not 
respond, but Bagis and Arinc both accepted the invitation to 
visit the Patriarchate. Dositheos said he and the Patriarch 
would follow up with their offices when the Patriarch returns 
this weekend.  According to Dositheos, for the four weeks 
prior to the lunch, the Patriarchate and the German 
Ambassador had been trying to set a date for the Patriarch to 
meet with Bagis with no success. 
 
A Warm Exchange 
---------------- 
 
¶6. (C) At the end of the tour the Patriarch presented Erdogan 
with a tespih (non-denominational prayer beads) blessed by 
himself at a monastery in Greece.  In return, Erdogan reached 
in his pocket and gave the Patriarch his personal tespih. 
The Patriarch responded to this gesture in kind and gave 
Erdogan his own personal tespih from his pocket. 
 
Speculation on U.S. Influence on Reform Process 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶7. (C) Acting German CG in Istanbul Peter von Wessendonk 
contended that President Obama's visit and continued pressure 
on Erdogan and the GOT is at the base of the recent turnabout 
and focus on democratic reforms.  He speculated that Erdogan 
and the GOT had been at an impasse and now are pushing to 
remove stumbling blocks on the way to reforms.  "Turkey has 
come a great distance but still has hiccups." More than 
anything, Erdogan "doesn't want to get it from Obama a second 
time."  According to Wessendonk, the United States carries 
much more weight than the European Union, in part because the 
U.S. is not involved in the carrots and sticks of EU 
accession. Wessendonk's perspective on the influence of 
Obama's visit tracked with the opinion of the Greek Deputy 
Principal Officer who also attended the lunch (Ref A). 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: While no concrete resolutions have come 
from the August 15 meeting, the Patriarchate appears 
cautiously optimistic. We will probe our GOT counterparts to 
learn more about GOT intentions, and look for opportunities 
to spur both parties to build on the constructive weekend 
atmospherics. End Comment. 
WIENER