Clinton offers undeserved praise for Turkey’s religious property initiatives

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in written responses to questions submitted by Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), the Ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, offered inordinate and undeserved praise for Turkey for taking "concrete steps" to return a tiny fraction of stolen religious properties, but did commit to continuing to both press Ankara to return additional properties confiscated from minority religious communities to their rightful owners, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Representative Berman's question, which referenced the Return of Churches resolution, H.Res.306, that he helped pass on the floor of the U.S. House, pressed the Secretary as to whether she was "satisfied that Turkey is committed to returning confiscated Christian churches and fully respecting the Armenian and other Christian populations that have lived on these lands since biblical times?" In her response, Secretary Clinton overstated Turkey's actual actions and offered unmerited praise for its stated intentions, which, even if fully implemented, would return less than 5% of stolen church properties to the rightful owners among Christian and other religious communities. She did however, in keeping with the letter and spirit of H.Res.306, and its Senate companion, S.Res.392, promise that the Department of State "will continue to remain vigilant of the situation for religious communities and encourage needed reforms in the country."

"We join with Armenian Americans from California and across the United States in thanking Congressman Berman for raising these vitally important issues with Secretary Clinton," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "While we certainly appreciate that Secretary Clinton - in accord with the letter and spirit of H.Res.306 - has committed the United States to continuing to press Turkey to return stolen religious properties to their rightful owners, we remain deeply troubled that her undeserved praise for Ankara's still hollow promises of reform, its political diversions, and its token actions reflect a lack of seriousness on the part of the Department State regarding the full return by Turkey of the fruits of its genocidal crimes against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Pontians, Arameans, Syriacs, and others."