Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that the Committee will convene a hearing on Wednesday, June 18 to examine the lack of religious freedom in Turkey. The hearing, entitled “Protecting Christian Heritage in Turkey, " will begin at 10:00 a.m.
Chairman Royce on the hearing: “Ancient Christian properties in Turkey have been under siege for decades. Hundreds of treasured historic places of worship have been lost through neglect, vandalism, or deliberate conversions into casinos, warehouses, museums or mosques. Despite a brief season of optimism in 2011 when the Turkish government seemed committed to reforming these troubling policies, very little has changed. At this hearing, the Committee will examine the current state of Turkey’s historic and religious sites and the Turkish Government’s progress, or lack thereof, in correcting this disturbing violation of religious freedom."
Immediately following the hearing, the Committee will consider H.R. 4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act. Introduced by Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) earlier this year, 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.
What.
Hearing: Protecting Christian Heritage in Turkey
Markup: H.R. 4347, Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act
When.
10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 18
Where.
2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Witnesses.
Elizabeth H. Prodromou, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Tufts University
Mr. Khatchig Mouradian
Coordinator of Armenian Genocide Program
Center for Genocide and Human Rights
Rutgers University
***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.
***Coverage note: All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.
