Secretary Clinton Offers Written Assurance to ANCA that U.S. is Pressing Turkish Government to Restore Confiscated Properties
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has welcomed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s first-ever public assertion that the U.S. government is actively pressing the highest levels of the Turkish government to restore confiscated properties to religious communities.
Clinton’s acknowledgment of Washington’s pressure on Ankara came in a written response to an Aug. 15, 2011 ANCA letter, in which the organization’s national chairman, Ken Hachikian, shared with her the Armenian American community’s objections to U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone’s serious mischaracterization regarding the number of Christian churches that escaped Ottoman and, later, Republican Turkey’s campaigns of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and cultural destruction.
Clinton, in her response, wrote: “We continue to stress the importance we attach to religious freedom in Turkey with Turkish leaders. We also continue to raise our concerns regarding the restoration of previously confiscated properties to religious communities with Turkish authorities at the highest levels. In this regard, we will be following closely the implementation of the Government of Turkey’s August 27 decree to return all confiscated immovable property belonging to 162 officially recognized non-Muslim religious community foundations in Turkey.”
The letter from Clinton, coming less than two months after the near-unanimous July 20 vote by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee that called on the State Department to pressure Turkey to return stolen Christian churches, reflects the growing momentum of the “return of churches” movement among Armenian Americans, other Christian groups persecuted by Turkey, and, more broadly, by advocates of religious freedom. The controversy over Ricciardone’s mistaken response, which was widely viewed as a bid to appease Ankara, delayed his confirmation by the U.S. Senate until Oct. 4.
In the ANCA’s response to Clinton’s letter, Hachikian noted: “We welcome your commitment to the restoration by Turkey of all confiscated religious properties, and look forward to your leadership in producing concrete results in support of our nation’s policy on this matter. Your powerful words—stated in no uncertain terms—provide reassurance that we, as Americans, are on the side of justice on this issue of fundamental fairness and religious freedom.”
He added: “The Armenian American community will stand in solidarity with you—as will all concerned Americans—as you pursue this matter with the Turkish government in the months to come. We respectfully ask you, Madam Secretary, to stay firm in this diplomacy. We ask, as well, that you appropriately dismiss superficial and token acts by the Turkish government, including isolated restorations and conversions of churches into museums, designed to distract attention from the pressing need for Ankara’s acceptance of a comprehensive resolution of the vast theft and destruction of religious properties.”
Hachikian also reviewed for Clinton the Armenian American community’s profound disappointment over the legacy of U.S. complicity in Turkey’s campaign to block a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide, stating: “Our diplomatic record shows that American leaders have repeatedly caved in to Turkish government pressure, effectively allowing the most extremist and intolerant domestic constituencies within Turkish society to dictate American policy on the Armenian Genocide and other vital issues concerning justice, religious freedom, and human rights. Our ill-advised appeasement of such irrational and hateful views continues to undermine the small, but growing, element of civil society within Turkey that has shown tremendous courage in demanding that their government speak truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and behave justly with the Armenian people.”
The ANCA concluded its letter with its traditional request that Clinton hold a meeting with the broad-based collective leadership of the Armenian American community.
Provided below are the texts of Secretary Clinton’s Sept. 14 letter to the ANCA, and the ANCA’s Oct. 13 response.
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Text of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Letter to the ANCA
September 14, 2011
Mr. Kenneth Hachikian
Chairman
Armenian National Committee of America
Washington, DC 20036
Dear Mr. Hachikian:
Thank you for your letter outlining concerns about Francis J. Ricciardone, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.
I have the fullest confidence in Ambassador Ricciardone. His record of service to our country is exceptional, and I believe he is the right choice to continue to lead the U.S. mission in Turkey.
With respect to the particular issues you raised in your letter, I draw your attention to the August 16 clarification provided to Senator Menendez on the question of religious property, which stated: “Most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are no longer operating as churches. Christian community contacts in Turkey report that a total of 200-250 churches that date to 1915 and before offer Christian worship services at least once a year. Many churches do not offer services every week due to insufficient clergy or local Christian populations. Some churches of significance operate as museums, others have been converted into mosques or put to other uses. Still others have fallen into disrepair or may have been totally destroyed.”
We continue to stress the importance we attach to religious freedom in Turkey with Turkish leaders. We also continue to raise our concerns regarding the restoration of previously confiscated properties to religious communities with Turkish authorities at the highest levels. In this regard, we will be following closely the implementation of the Government of Turkey’s August 27 decree to return all confiscated immovable property belonging to 162 officially recognized non-Muslim religious community foundations in Turkey.
I take your concerns seriously, and I know from my own discussions with Ambassador Ricciardone that he does as well.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Hillary Rodham Clinton
***
Text of ANCA’s Response to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
October 13, 2011
Dear Secretary Clinton:
I am writing to thank you for your letter of September 14, 2011 reiterating the State Department’s support for religious freedom in Turkey and the restoration, by the Turkish government, of confiscated religious properties to their rightful owners.
As you know, the issue of stolen religious properties belonging to the Armenians and other Christian communities in the territory of present-day Turkey has a long, tragic, and still unresolved history. The systematic theft and destruction of thousands of holy sites, as well as of a vast number of community and privately held properties, dates back to the earliest stages of the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of its Christian communities, and, sadly, extends, through to the present-day, in the form of the Republic of Turkey’s ongoing efforts to erase the legacy of the vast Christian heritage in these biblical lands. Extensive documentation about the identity, location, history, and present state of these properties exists in church, academic, and government archives around the world.
We are gratified that this fundamental issue of religious freedom and fairness is currently on the Congressional agenda. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, on July 20, 2011, voted 43 to 1 to adopt an amendment encouraging you, as Secretary of State, to impress upon the Government of Turkey that it must return stolen Christian churches and all religious properties to their rightful owners. The return of these sacred sites and properties to their rightful Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, Pontian, and Syriac church and lay owners is, by any moral or legal standard, long overdue. In the case of Armenian religious properties, rightful return will, of course, involve the legal restoration of thousands of properties to the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, the Holy See of Cilicia, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Armenian Evangelical Church, and the Patriarchates of Jerusalem, and Constantinople.
We welcome your commitment to the restoration by Turkey of all confiscated religious properties, and look forward to your leadership in producing concrete results in support of our nation’s policy on this matter. Your powerful words–stated in no uncertain terms–provide reassurance that we, as Americans, are on the side of justice on this issue of fundamental fairness and religious freedom.
The Armenian American community will stand in solidarity with you–as will all concerned Americans–as you pursue this matter with the Turkish government in the months to come. We respectfully ask you, Madam Secretary, to stay firm in this diplomacy. We ask, as well, that you appropriately dismiss superficial and token acts by the Turkish government, including isolated restorations and conversions of churches into museums, designed to distract attention from the pressing need for Ankara’s acceptance of a comprehensive resolution of the vast theft and destruction of religious properties.
Our diplomatic record shows that American leaders have repeatedly caved in to Turkish government pressure, effectively allowing the most extremist and intolerant domestic constituencies within Turkish society to dictate American policy on the Armenian Genocide and other vital issues concerning justice, religious freedom, and human rights. Our ill-advised appeasement of such irrational and hateful views continues to undermine the small, but growing, element of civil society within Turkey that has shown tremendous courage in demanding that their government speak truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and behave justly with the Armenian people.
Your support for Turkey’s restoration of confiscated religious properties, taken to its logical fruition, would help bring about a new era of American-Turkish relations–based on the principles of fairness, tolerance, and mutual respect–while also, facilitating meaningful progress toward a truthful, just, and comprehensive resolution of the Armenian Genocide.
We would be pleased to work closely with you and your State Department team as the future steps in this effort are planned and implemented. As always, we look forward to meeting with you and your colleagues, as part of a broad-based consultation with Armenian American community leaders, to share our views on the specifics of this issue, and also to bring our considerable expertise to the compilation of a comprehensive database of religious properties.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman
In other words, Obama and Hillary Clinton want you to vote for him and Democrats in 2012 just because she sent some belated letter to Turkey – that she has no intention of following up on.
I am waiting for another endorsement of Obama. We Armenian Americans have not learned our lesson.
You Armenian Americans have not learned your lesson. That is true. You endorse a democrat president, he lets you down. Then you endorse a republican, he disappoints you more… If I were you, I would vote for an independent candidate. He will surely use the magical “G” word. :-)
Re: Confiscated properties:-Note, I´m not dwelling on Ahmet or Marvin´s having diverted from main issue she has pointed at ,which refers to RETURN OF CONFISCATED PROPERTIES (of Armenians,Greeks ,Assyrians, etc. ) by present Turkish authorities to proper owners. These two gentlemen above have somehow diverted from submject matter to (again) G.word. Whaat I am about to relate below, relates to precisely to her declaration. In a previous post I think, when she has sided with us,I did remark ¨her good stock American part must have reacted¨to that effect.
Indeed, it is a heartening ¨change of course¨, coming form the FM (secretary of state) of the U.S. We should welcome that and priase her for being on our side now!! Times are a bit deceptive these days, what with Spring Revolutions in N.Africa, the Middle East and great Turkey, trying hard once more to take centrestage therein.
With this post/writing, I wish to bring to attention that things are indeed happening in Turkey in parallel with Mr. Erdogan´s continued efforts to break through with his Agenda, which as above indicated is to act more ¨officailly¨ shall we say in said areas.
Now, what sort of changes are prevailing as regards Turkey´s interior state affairs.
AS above title attests RETURN OF CONFISCATED PROPERTIES. I do see that on 5 Armenian T.V. channels taking place and/ or press releases, articles therein.
So far, so good!!!
But then all of a sudden a ¨Reportage¨ Audio visual broadcast on Armenian T.V. , H1 Govt. Channel, showing city of VAN. Showing around the streets, parks , fountains etc., then focusing on man sitting on a table(no doubt a Gvt. official) INVITING ARMENIANS TO COME BACK AND LIVE IN VAN AND VAN PROVINCE ,together with us…
My short commment in Armenian now,shall translate it too.¨YEGHAV? voch cheghav¨
Did it happen or will it? No it won´t.Why so ?
Because that land , with AGHTAMAR CHURCH BUIKLT THERE BY ARMENIAN KING GAGIK 1000 YEARS AGO, plus many many others CLEARLY ATTEST TO ONE FACT.
Armenians lived there for millenia, it was their HABITAT , you(turks) came in and conquered it b y force. So, do you truly believe that Any Armenian in his her right mind would wish to leave Uruguay,Argentina,U.s. Canada, France etc. come to live with you there?
Our ancestors fought tooth and nails , but failed to throw you out of there. We can wait.Meanwhile MAKE DO WITH KURDS THERE(IF YOU CAN) THEN WE SHALL SEE.
As to Ms. Clintons Bienfaisence(Benevolence) we thank here very much but trust she will realize that above problems exist and this slow move to RETURN of properties , then Invitation by mayors of cities such as Van are a way to blow dust into pour eyes-
If they really wish to be good neighbours with us (and kurds alike) they should justfully return lands that surrounds the confiscated properties to lawfull owners ,which nowadays are not a RAYA peopl any more what with a Nation/State and a Huge Diaspora. The may wish to come and themselvdes-without conquerers therein-cultivize further the lands, buinesses,industreis etc., by themselves.
CORRECTIONS!!! as to above post.PLese excuse the errors,as follows:-
In last paragraph:-
¨They may wish to come and themselves, cultivate lands without the conquerers therein.
The rights of minorities in the RoT shall be respected, but that does not mean the territorial soveirgnty of the RoT will be disrespected. Turkey will have a right to defend their territorial integrity. I am a Turkish/American with Pomak and Laz roots and I swear oath to supporting Turkey.
Stev-o.. that is an odd name to pick.. but then again… who cares..
do you know your history or you are just blurting out comments without realizing that YOUR TURKEY is not really yours??? that YOUR TURKEY was actually properties and lands of Armenians, and other Christians???? that the integirty of Turkey is non-existant because turkey and integrity are two words that go together….
Ahmet-oglu– why don’t you use the word “GENOCIDE”.. are you afraid you will burn if you use the word in its entirity??? Are you afraid that your govt will pull you tongue out if you do??? guess you did learn your lesson well huh? the fear lesson… or the stupid lesson..
Thanks but no thank Hillary Clinton.. it is sooo obviousl from your letter that all you were doing is dangling a carrot in front of the Armenian community.. sorry but we are not buying… same tricks, same song and dance.. we are tired of your lies….
Obama is not going to get my vote next election.. neither you…
Ahmet does kind of have a point though. Both parties care more about sucking up to Turkey than anything else. That’s why I’m voting third party.
I do not see any problem in restoring and returning confiscated religious properties back into the hands of the remaining communities. I can not see many Turks having a problem with it either. It is long overdue. In fact, it seems current government has already taken steps in that direction. Where there is no such community to maintain or take over, then local governments should take on the responsibility. This may even seed the future Greek, Armenian or other minority communities in these locations. It is the right thing to do. Hopefully Armenian nationalists do not make it politically costly for the Turkish government to do the right thing.
Steve O, is still thinking imagining that Ermenis(rayas) from Diaspora will come back and live under their bloody flag eh? and that THEIR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY WILL NOT be disrespected..(same old phrasse repeated by great Turkey and little brother Azerbaijan alike) . The may indeed succeed in by and by opening up a few monasteries left there our of near a thousand and even by and by ¨allow¨ Holy Mass to be conducted thresay once a year, or weel maybe twice or on Armenian Holidays,St.name days…).But…what does that same act of returning these lead the logically thinking to?
Why indeed, that those belonges to some people called Ermeni…where are they?
what happened to them. Why all of a sudden your conscions has moved become kind? .No , we are not that simple Yavroum…..your Govt. must collapse, like those in Egypt, Libya and yet others , for those did not endure either.What makes you think you can ? especially what with 18 million k u r d s on those lands, who have recently again brought up the question of ¨¨Territorial integrity¨. You cannot get them out of there…and this softening up process(unleasheed by your allies,Allies?, they are your bosses who wish their benefits safe guarded, through you acting as Genderme.But not only Genderms and chiefs can face destiny such as col. Gaddafi but also ¨paper tigers¨ as well. Time to really come to terms , immediately return piece of small arid land around Ararat and ruins of aNI to lawfull owners, as a true gesture of intention to admit to Crime.By and by continue with return of all lands around those Monasteries to lawfull owners and ionstead of attacking /harassing k u r d s , also let these people get part of land that WAS their Habitat for millenia before you Turks invaded it. Otherwise this parrot like repeated ¨Territorial integrity¨ will not get you to any where. At a conference where Turkish Gunaydin, or Hurriet correspondents were there in the 80´s(our conf.) the correspondent asked a group of us after session in lobby ,don´t you think that others have also committed attrocities in Far East, N.America. Answe from me was indeed,but they have compensatged their guilt/crime as best they could.We shall live side by side whether you like it or us,is´t it better that we come to an understanding now ,I suggested yes, he says biut there are U.s. bases on those lands.to which i replied on the other side also are others.
¨Are you a communist(it was before Gorbachev perestroika,during cold war) no , quite the contrary a small capitalist, but I may turn to a Marxist, communist maoist what not in defence of my Homeland. then he says will you leave the Western country you live in and come live in thoose rugged mounatinaous areas?
I replied I shall come and go as many times as necesary and with our material help bring in buddlozers CATS and rebuild the area and bring in farmers from nearby Armenian communities etc., to whioch he could not answer any more.
You see this is going to take a very long time it is a long process, but Armenians are famed for being patient!!!!
Stev-o, the ‘territorial integrity’ of Turkey was secured through theft and murder; by the blood of Ottoman Christians. There is no dignity in this. I find this indefensible. Why doesn’t your oath to stand by Turkey include helping her deal honestly with her past and making amends for the sins of your forefathers? Much can be gained for Turkey by atoning and living in peace with neighbors. Genocide is an international crime that won’t be brushed under the rug.
No Gaytzag. Armenians aren’t patient. They are stupid. You will loose your little empire but you do not realize
Steve,
I wonder why people like you run away from a civilized country like Turkey and, when they are in a strange country all of sudden become turkish national again, and penal code 301 defenders!!
here below is one part of Turkish penal code 301 punishment:
(3) denigration of Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in a foreign country, the penalty shall be increased by one third.
John the Turk, you and your bigotry should go back to the dark ages.
John the Turk– i would not speak that highly of your unintelligent self… because when one opens their mouth without any purpose may lose everything else.. including your Westernized name…
So keep on inhaling the poisoneous hookah your govt is providing to you and leave the more advanced and intelligent matters for people who truly know and understand..
Murat– you may join John the Turk as well..
By the way, my friend Gor asked if you would have a normal conversation and debate about the Armenians Genocide on another thread… we have not heard from you… it is only respectful to reply to a question don’t you think???
Thank you