CHAIRMAN ROYCE, RANKING MEMBER ENGEL INTRODUCE TURKISH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LEGISLATION
Congressional Documents and Publications
March 31, 2014
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) News Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking
Member of the Committee, introduced the Turkey Christian Churches
Accountability Act (H.R. 4347). The legislation requires an annual
report from the State Department on the status of stolen, confiscated
or unreturned Christian properties in territories controlled by Turkey.
Chairman Royce said: "This legislation holds Turkey accountable for
its international obligations to protect and promote human rights,
and it calls attention to Turkish leaders' broken promises to return
church properties to their rightful owners. Over decades, Christian
church properties, particularly those belonging to the Armenian,
Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities have been either violently
overtaken or illegally confiscated by Turkish authorities under
various excuses. These churches under Turkish control have been
looted, converted to mosques, storehouses, casinos, vandalized and
often irreparably damaged."
"Vulnerable religious minorities deserve more than just piecemeal
returns of their stolen religious properties. It is important that the
United States continue to encourage Turkish leaders to uphold their
commitments and return all remaining properties without further delay.
This bill will make promoting religious freedom and tolerance in
Turkey a U.S. diplomatic priority."
Ranking Member Engel said: "The Republic of Turkey, and indeed
all nations, have a responsibility to protect, restore, and return
religious properties which have been unlawfully seized from their
communities and rightful owners by state authorities. Armenian,
Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities in Turkey have for many years
been seeking the return of their confiscated properties. The claims of
these communities must be respected and addressed in a comprehensive
and timely manner. This legislation calls on the Republic of Turkey
to meet its international obligations, and urges the United States
to prioritize the return of unlawfully seized religious properties in
order to begin to resolve the legitimate claims of these communities."
Read this original document at:
http://engel.house.gov/latest-news1/chairman-royce-ranking-member-engel-introduce-turkish-religious-freedom-legislation/
Congressional Documents and Publications
March 31, 2014
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) News Release
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking
Member of the Committee, introduced the Turkey Christian Churches
Accountability Act (H.R. 4347). The legislation requires an annual
report from the State Department on the status of stolen, confiscated
or unreturned Christian properties in territories controlled by Turkey.
Chairman Royce said: "This legislation holds Turkey accountable for
its international obligations to protect and promote human rights,
and it calls attention to Turkish leaders' broken promises to return
church properties to their rightful owners. Over decades, Christian
church properties, particularly those belonging to the Armenian,
Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities have been either violently
overtaken or illegally confiscated by Turkish authorities under
various excuses. These churches under Turkish control have been
looted, converted to mosques, storehouses, casinos, vandalized and
often irreparably damaged."
"Vulnerable religious minorities deserve more than just piecemeal
returns of their stolen religious properties. It is important that the
United States continue to encourage Turkish leaders to uphold their
commitments and return all remaining properties without further delay.
This bill will make promoting religious freedom and tolerance in
Turkey a U.S. diplomatic priority."
Ranking Member Engel said: "The Republic of Turkey, and indeed
all nations, have a responsibility to protect, restore, and return
religious properties which have been unlawfully seized from their
communities and rightful owners by state authorities. Armenian,
Syriac, and Greek Orthodox communities in Turkey have for many years
been seeking the return of their confiscated properties. The claims of
these communities must be respected and addressed in a comprehensive
and timely manner. This legislation calls on the Republic of Turkey
to meet its international obligations, and urges the United States
to prioritize the return of unlawfully seized religious properties in
order to begin to resolve the legitimate claims of these communities."
Read this original document at:
http://engel.house.gov/latest-news1/chairman-royce-ranking-member-engel-introduce-turkish-religious-freedom-legislation/