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Manatos Testifies before U.S. Congress, 97-03-14
HR-Net News Distribution Manager <dist@hri.org>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- MARCH 14, 1997
MANATOS TESTIFIES BEFORE U.S. CONGRESS
"American interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the southern
Balkans have been injured by the fact that our country's traditional policy
toward Turkey has failed," said Andrew E. Manatos as he testified today before
the House International Relations Committee with regard to the Foreign
Assistance Authorization Bill for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. "While we
practiced a policy of silence and largess toward Turkey in the face of clear
Turkish wrongdoing, Turkey has dangerously increased such wrongdoing. Our
traditional policy is contributing to making Turkey much more powerful
militarily as it moves closer to our enemies, further from the human rights of
its people and closer to war with our allies," said Manatos.
Manatos was part of a panel which included the executive director of
AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee), the president of the Irish
National Caucus, and a representative of Africare. He testified on behalf of
several national Greek-American organizations including the National Coordinated
Effort, the United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC), the Pancyprian Association
of America, and the International Coordinating Committee -- Justice for Cyprus
(PSEKA).
Manatos' testimony was accentuated by the presence in the hearing room
of Costa Nicolaou of Bethesda, Maryland (originally from Cyprus). Mr.
Nicolaou's brother is one of the 1,619 missing in Cyprus, for whom a
legislatively-mandated report is expected, and his wife Maria's father was
murdered on Cyprus by Turkish-Cypriots. As Mr. Nicolaou stood before the
International Relations Committee, Manatos read a statement indicating the
opinion of Costa and Maria Nicolaou -- that even in light of the past,
Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots can live together having nothing to fear
from each other.
With regard to Turkish threats against Greece, Manatos urged the
committee to adopt language highlighting the fact that, "America has an
obligation to hold all counties, particularly U.S. allies, to
internationally-respected standards of conduct...The United States, the European
Parliament and other countries have shown in the Eastern Mediterranean strong
international public support for the respect for and adherence to international
treaties, the territorial integrity of all countries, and
internationally-recognized borders...as well as strong international public
opposition to the use of force or the threat of the use of force by those who
question the status quo."
With regard to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, Manatos
urged the adoption of language urging Turkey to properly protect and allow for
the full functioning of this spiritual center for over 300 million Orthodox
Christians worldwide. Manatos stated that, "In light of recent concerns in
Washington about the persecution of Christians around the world, the problems of
the Patriarchate should be of particular interest...It was under the leadership
and the guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, that the constitutional and
dogmatic framework of the Christian Church was formulated. This is the locale
where the New Testament was codified and the Nicene Creed was first written, for
example." Manatos also asked the committee to urge Turkey to allow the
re-opening of the Halki Theological School.
With regard to the Greek minority in Albania, Manatos said, "we are
particularly concerned about their well-being in light of recent violence in
that country. Although relations between Greece and Albania have improved,
Albania's Greek minority continues to be denied some of the most basic human
rights, particularly in the areas of education, religion, and access to public
employment. We urge the committee to support the human rights of the Greek
minority in Albania as guaranteed by agreements that Albania has signed and
which have been upheld by the International Court of Justice."
For more information, please contact Mike Manatos at (202) 393-7790.
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