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### Viewing cable 09ISTANBUL73, TURKEY: SENATOR DURBIN PUSHES FOR HALKI OPENING

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09ISTANBUL73 | 2009-02-23 13:57 | 2011-05-24 08:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Consulate Istanbul
Appears in these articles: www.tanea.gr

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    VZCZCXRO9912
    PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
    DE RUEHIT #0073/01 0541357
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 231357Z FEB 09
    FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8779
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
    RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU PRIORITY
    RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY

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    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000073

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2019
    TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE GR CY TU
    SUBJECT: TURKEY: SENATOR DURBIN PUSHES FOR HALKI OPENING

    Classified By: Consul General Sharon A. Wiener for reasons 1.4 (b) and
    (d).

    ¶1. (C) Summary: Senator Richard Durbin called on the
    Ecumenical Patriarch during his February 20 trip to
    Istanbul following official meetings in Nicosia, Athens,
    and Ankara.  Durbin and the Patriarch discussed solutions
    to Cyprus and the importance of Halki Seminary and a
    potential re-energizing of talks on opening the Seminary.
    While Durbin would like to include the Greek government in
    meetings on the topic in light of GOT comments on
    reciprocity on issues in Western Thrace, the Patriarch
    responded strongly and negatively to this suggestion -
    emphasizing that Halki is a Turkish institution. End
    Summary.

    ¶2. (C) The Patriarch thanked Senator Durbin for his visit
    and conveyed his best wishes for the new Administration,
    noting his confidence that the new President would have a
    fruitful tenure.  Peace and stability are greatly needed in
    the world, he said, and some refer to President Obama as
    the "new Messiah."  The Patriarch will be coming to the
    United States in October for an environmental symposium in
    Mississippi and would like to meet President Obama at that
    time.

    ¶3. (C) The Patriarch emphasized the importance of the Halki
    Seminary for the continuation of the Greek Orthodox Church
    in Turkey. If the Ecumenical Patriarchate were to leave its
    traditional home in Istanbul, he argued, the Russian
    Orthodox Church would pursue its ambition to take over the
    administration of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, making them
    leaders of the Orthodox Church.  The Patriarchate "needs
    protection from being humiliated by Ankara and the
    ambitions of the Russians."

    ¶4. (C) Senator Durbin explained that he came to Turkey at
    the urging of his Greek American constituents.  While in
    Ankara, he said he brought up the issue of the Halki
    Seminary in his meetings with President Gul, Deputy PM
    Cicek, and senior MFA officials, who all expressed an
    interest in resolving the issue, despite legal requirements
    that have impeded resolution to date. Durbin noted that
    these GOT officials explained that the rights of the Muslim
    minority in Greece are not being respected, pointing, as an
    example, to inequitable funding of minority schools in
    western Thrace and a cut-back in the number of
    Turkish-speaking teachers allowed to enter Greece to teach
    at these schools. While not expressly demanding a quid pro
    quo, GOT officials made clear that reciprocal action by
    Athens would go far in helping resolve this issue.

    Engaging Civil Society on Cyprus
    ---------------------------------

    ¶5. (C) Durbin expressed his hope about a Cyprus solution to
    the Patriarch, noting that it will take "God, luck, and
    hard work" for it to be successful.  He commented on the
    positive responses he received from the Turkish-Cypriot
    leaders on Cyprus during his meetings, as well as from GOT
    officials, but the paradoxical gloomy perspective he heard
    from journalists and MPs in Ankara on the topic. The
    Patriarch responded that the Ecumenical Patriarchate's
    problems are directly related to Turkey's conflict with
    Cyprus.

    ¶6. (C) Durbin said he was surprised by the silence of civil
    society in Cyprus and elsewhere. Political figures made
    statements, he said, but there was a distinct silence from
    ordinary people.  Durbin said he wanted to engage civil
    society to push for a solution, and suggested a religious
    reconciliation program in Cyprus.  Endy Zemenides, staff
    aide to the Illinois State Treasurer, supported Durbin's
    statement, saying that more people-to-people contact would
    be worthwhile.

    Patriarch Discourages GOG Presence at Halki Talks
    --------------------------------------------- -----

    ¶7. (C) While the Patriarch posited that the GOT does not
    want to sit down to a discussion of problems with the
    Patriarchate, Durbin responded that the GOT officials with
    whom he had met in Ankara said that they would like to do
    just that. He explained his plan to have someone from the
    Government of Greece (GOG) at the table as well, to start
    the conversation.  The Patriarch emphatically stated that

    ISTANBUL 00000073  002 OF 002

    it would not be logical to connect the issues of the Muslim
    minority in Western Thrace and a mosque in Athens with the
    issues of the Patriarchate, nor involve the GOG with a
    discussion on Halki. "Even Erdogan called Halki a Turkish
    institution, and the Patriarchate is not a representative
    of the Greek government."

    ¶8. (C) Durbin said that, nonetheless, he wanted to explore
    all avenues in an effort to resolve the Halki issue and
    asked if the Patriarch would be able to recommend an
    appropriate GOG contact to meet with GOT MFA Deputy
    Undersecretary Haydar Berk. The Patriarch reiterated that
    he believed the GOT should meet solely with representatives
    of the Patriarchate on these issues.

    ¶9. (C) Comment:  Immediately following his meeting with the
    Ecumenical Patriarch, Durbin called GOG FM Dora Bakoyannis
    to discuss the Halki Seminary.  He reported that GOT
    officials had hinted at a willingness to do more on Halki,
    but said that this would be facilitated by progress on
    "Turkish teachers in Thrace," and asked what she could do.
    According to Durbin's staff, Bakoyannis said she was
    willing to meet at any time with GOT interlocutors on the
    issue.  Durbin's staff also noted that the Turkish
    community in Thrace would like more daily Turkish language
    instruction in schools, and more local control over the
    hiring of teachers (who are employees of the Ministry of
    Education).  Durbin called Berk following his discussion
    with the Patriarch and his call to Bakoyannis. Berk told
    Durbin he was pleased with the notion of energizing
    dialogue both with the Ecumenical Patriarch and with the
    GOG on these issues and would be willing to meet with the
    Patriarch himself on Halki and others issues of concern to
    the Church here in Turkey.  As noted above, the Ecumenical
    Patriarch emphasized to Durbin that he is a Turkish citizen
    and that the issues of the Patriarchate and Halki Seminary
    should be resolved without regard to activities in
    neighboring countries.  Thus, the question at hand is
    whether the GOT would view any development with the GOG in
    western Thrace as sufficient to move forward with opening
    Halki Seminary, subject to identifying a legal avenue that
    would comply with legislation on provision of religious
    education in Turkey.  End Comment.
    Wiener

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