Gus Bilirakis Calls on Turkey to 'Safeguard its Christian Heritage'

From his perches on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the International Freedom Caucus and as co-chairman of the House Hellenic Caucus, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis issued a statement on Thursday after the House unanimously passed a measure urging Turkey to respect Christian sites and return confiscated church property.

"It has been my privilege to be a strong voice for oppressed religious minorities throughout the world," Bilirakis said. "I am pleased that my colleagues once again sent a strong message in support of religious freedom in a manner that transcends party politics by unanimously condemning Turkey for failing to safeguard its Christian heritage or return confiscated church properties.

"It is especially fitting that House Resolution 306 passed in the middle of the Advent season as we prepare for one of the highest Christian holidays of the year, Bilirakis added. I will continue to stand with those who seek nothing more than to simply be secure in their faiths, in their houses of worship, and in their religious communities."