Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday presented the International Religious Freedom Report for 2016 of the US Department of State, according to the Voice of America Armenian service.

In his words, there are major problems also in Turkey, with respect to religious freedom. 

In particular, the report points to the Armenian Church Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia’s (based in Lebanon) lawsuit for the return of the Catholicosate of Sis in present-day Turkey, and which was wrongly seized in 1915. The report also recalls that the Turkish authorities have canceled religious services at the Armenian church on Akhtamar Island on Lake Van.

And regarding religious freedom in Armenia, the report reads: “The [country’s] constitution grants everyone the rights of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. (…). It recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) as the national church and preserver of national identity.” The report adds that incidents against freedom of religion occur much rarely in Armenia, as compared with its neighboring countries.