US Elections: What John Fetterman Says in Turkey

The John Fetterman He was declared victorious in the by-election against him Mehmed OzA prominent Republican physician who received his support Donald Trump and flipped a Republican-held Senate seat and elected Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Last month, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor and then-senator candidate John Fetterman didn’t hesitate to take a stand, describing Turkey as an “area of ​​concern” for him and expressing dismay at the seizure of thousands of Ecumenical Patriarchate assets. Turkey, converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, closing the Halki school, but a practice that interferes with Ankara’s ecumenical patriarchal succession.

“As a US Senator, I will support the Greek-Orthodox struggle for religious freedom in Turkey.”@John Fetterman Pennsylvania has taken a strong stance on religious freedom and support @EcuPatriarch. pic.twitter.com/ISMtPOEoX8

— Petros Kasfikis (@PetrosKas) October 20, 2022

Joan Fetterman fully accepted the demands of the Greek-American community, and at that time her opponent throughout the pre-election race in Pennsylvania was Mehmet Oz, a famous TV star, who was a dual – American and Turkish – citizen and worked. In the Turkish army.

In defense of the Patriots

John Fetterman openly advocated the defense of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In fact, John Fetterman published a statement of particular importance on the interests of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch, and all matters of Orthodox Christianity.

As noted in the announcement, “The U.S. Constitution guarantees everyone the right to freedom of religion. It is an American value but a common value that I share with the Greek-American community. Bipartisan rulings in Washington by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual head of the Greek Orthodox Church and more than 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide I am particularly concerned about Turkey’s restrictions on freedom.

In particular, John Fetterman pledged to support the struggle of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community for religious freedom in Turkey as a senator. In this light, he called on the Turkish government to:

• To protect the religious freedom of the Greek Orthodox Church.
• Bartholomew should be recognized as the Ecumenical Patriarch.
• The Ecumenical Patriarch should not interfere in the election of the successor.
• Confiscated property must be returned to the church.
• Hagia Sophia should be turned back into a museum.
• Halki’s Theological School should be allowed to reopen.

Subsequently, he praised the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr. Bartholomew “has been a pioneer in interfaith dialogue, urging Muslim leaders to condemn the 9/11 attacks in the United States as an act of sectarianism. For his contribution to religious understanding and peace, the Congress honored him with the Congress Gold Medal. He has also been recognized for his remarkable stance in the fight against climate change.”

In detail, John Fetterman reports

“The U.S. Constitution guarantees everyone the right to religious freedom. It is an American value and a shared value for me and the Greek-American community. One area of ​​particular concern to me is Turkey, where bipartisan American leaders in Washington are the spiritual head of the Greek Orthodox Church and more than 300 million Orthodox around the world. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew found restrictions on Christians’ religious freedom.

During his leadership, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was a leader in interfaith dialogue, urging Muslim leaders to condemn the 9/11 attacks in the United States as an anti-religious act. For his contribution to religious understanding and peace, the Congress recognized him with the Congress Gold Medal. He has been recognized for his remarkable leadership in the fight against climate change.

As a US Senator I will support the Greek Orthodox struggle for religious freedom in Turkey. I firmly believe that Turkey should protect the religious freedom of the Greek Orthodox Church, recognize Bartholomew as Ecumenical Patriarch, not interfere in the selection of his successor, return confiscated property to the Church, turn Hagia Sophia back into a museum, and reopen Halki. School”.