tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu May 22 12:30:05 2003
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FW: LET US OPEN HALKI
- From: "papakh" <[email protected]>
- Subject: FW: LET US OPEN HALKI
- Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 20:25:59 +0300
- Importance: Normal
-----Original Message-----
From: -Global HEC-Network (all the HEC lists)
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Capt.Evangelos Rigos
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:02 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: LET US OPEN HALKI
PRESS RELEASE www.greece.org/themis/halki2/press.html
Up to 24:00 NY time 07/03/02 26,400 people signed the petition
Dear Associated HEC members,
On Mary 24, 2002, Mr. Athanasios Apostolou and Mr. Koenders, members of the
Dutch Parliament, placed certain questions about Halki in front of the
Foreign
Minister of Holland. The following document includes the questions and
replies of
the Dutch FM. Full details are at
http://www.greece.org/themis/halki2/stetem.html
Please help us to re-open Halki. Collect signatures, mail them to us
at [email protected] and we will enter them into the petition.
THEMIS-HALKI
www.greece.org/themis/
8 July 2002
To
The President of the Dutch Parliament
Binnenhof 4
Hague
Subject: Answers to the questions of the parliamentarians APOSTOLOU and
KOENDERS (both members of the Socialdemocratic Party, PvdA) for the
reopening of the Theological School of Halki. The relative questions were
received on 24th May, 2002, archive number 2010210530.
The Foreign Minister
The relative questions were received on 24th May, 2002, archive number
2010210530.
Mr. Van Aartsen's answer, Foreign Minister, to the questions of the members
Apostolou and Koenders (both members of the Socialdemocratic Party, PvdA)
Question 1.
Are you aware of the international campaign for the reopening of the
Theological School of Halki, Istabul, which has been closed by Turkey since
1971? (1)
Answer 1.
Yes
Question 2.
Do you agree with the opinion that the continuing closing of this
Theological School implies restriction of the religion freedom and the
freedom of religious education, and that it opposes the international
treaties for the protection of the human rights? For what reasons does the
Turkish Government forbid the function of this School?
Answer 2.
Yes, so the international treaty for the Human and Political Rights, as the
European treaty for the Human Rights guarantee the right of the religion
expression and its expression in religious ceremonies and education.
In 1971 the Turkish Constitutional Court decided that the education in
private schools is unconstitutional. The Constitution of Turkey determines
that the education must be based upon the fundamental principles of the
Turkish state and that it is subjected to the supervision and control of the
Turkish state. The fundamental principles of the Turkish state in this case
are: The unity of the state and its secular character. Having that decision
of the Constitutional Court as pretext, the Turkish Ministry of Education
ordered the closing of all private schools, among them the Theological
School of Halki.
Question 3.
Do you countersign the argument, that the Theological School of Halki
accomplishes an essential mission in the education and training of the
spiritual leaders of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as the center of the
Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition?
Answer 3.
Until its closing, 31 years ago, the Theological School of Halki has
unquestionably accomplished this task.
Question 4.
Are you willing to exercise pressure on the Turkish government to retract
the closing of the Theological School of Halki and to allow its reopening as
soon as possible?
Answer 4.
Holland often exercises pressure on the Turkish authorities to comply with
the political criteria of Copenhagen (a necessary requirement for the
acceptance of Turkey in the European Union). One of the criteria demands
among other things, the increase of the possibility of exercising the right
of religious freedom. In the next immediate bilateral contacts with Turkey
we will touch the closing of the Theological School of Halki.
_________________________________________________________
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