GovTrack’s Bill Summary
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H.Res. 306 (112th): Urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties.
- Introduced:
- Jun 15, 2011 (112th Congress, 2011–2013)
- Sponsor:
- Rep. Edward “Ed” Royce [R-CA40]
- Status:
- Agreed To (Simple Resolution)
The resolution’s title was written by the resolution’s sponsor. H.Res. stands for House simple resolution.
- Summary
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No summaries available.
- Text
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Last updated Dec 13, 2011.
2 pages
- Primary Source
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View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)
GovTrack gets most information from THOMAS, which is updated generally one day after events occur. Activity since the last update may not be reflected here.
- Citation
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Library of Congress Summary
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.
12/13/2011--Passed House amended.
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of State, in all official contacts with Turkish leaders and officials, should emphasize that Turkey should:
(1) end all forms of religious discrimination;
(2) allow the rightful church and lay owners of Christian church properties to organize prayer services, religious education, clerical training, social services, and other religious activities;
(3) return to their rightful owners all Christian churches and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, holy sites, and other religious properties, including artwork and manuscripts; and
(4) allow the rightful church and lay owners of Christian church properties to preserve and reconstruct all Christian churches and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, holy sites, and other religious properties within Turkey.
House Republican Conference Summary
The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.
This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/112/1/hres306.
Background
According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Royce (R-CA), "Religious minorities are under grave threat in today's Turkey. Turkey is 99 percent Muslim. But rather than enjoying protection, very vulnerable religious minority groups including the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church are denied full legal status." Royce added, "This [bill] calls on Turkey to allow all Turks to practice their faiths, return stolen church properties, and allow property owners to repair their churches. In Turkey, it is illegal for religious minority groups to study, practice, or teach one’s own faith. If religious needs cannot be met, religious minority groups will decline, as they have, and in some cases—cease to exist. Turkey has an international obligation to see that this doesn't happen."
Summary
H.Res. 306 would urge the Government of Turkey to honor its obligations under international treaties and human rights law to:
(1) end all forms of religious discrimination;
(2) allow the rightful church and lay owners of Christian church properties, without hindrance or restriction, to organize and administer prayer services, religious education, clerical training, appointments, and succession, religious community gatherings, social services, including ministry to the needs of the poor and infirm, and other religious activities;
(3) return to their rightful owners all Christian churches and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, monuments, relics, holy sites, and other religious properties, including movable properties, such as artwork, manuscripts, vestments, vessels, and other artifacts; and
(4) allow the rightful Christian church and lay owners of Christian church properties, without hindrance or restriction, to preserve, reconstruct, and repair, as they see fit, all Christian churches and other places of worship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, monuments, relics, holy sites, and other religious properties within Turkey.
Cost
There is no CBO cost estimate available for this bill.
House Democratic Caucus Summary
The House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.
So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference’s summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That’s because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.
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