As the United States piled pressure on Turkey over a detained American pastor, the leaders of Turkey’s Christian and Jewish minorities issued a joint declaration July 31 asserting they enjoy religious freedom in the Muslim-majority country. The declaration may have pleased Ankara as a show of support in the row with Washington, but has triggered controversy and objections with the minorities themselves.

Signed by 18 spiritual and community leaders, the declaration said, “As the religious representatives and foundation administrators of ancient communities of different religions and faiths that have been rooted in this country for centuries, we are free to live out our faiths and practice our worships in line with our traditions. Statements alleging and/or alluding to oppression are completely untrue and go beyond purpose.”

Agos, the newspaper of Turkey’s Armenian community, ran a sarcastic headline that roughly translates as “Lo and behold, we have been free but we didn’t know it.” Asked why they chose such a headline, the paper’s editor-in-chief Yetvart Danzikyan told Al-Monitor, “They say there are no obstructions to our worships. Then why do the police stand guard at the door when Armenians in particular hold services in their churches? The declaration does not fully correspond to reality.”

Garo Paylan, an Armenian parliament member for the Peoples’ Democratic Party, was even harsher. “When I read the declaration, I felt once again that all those spiritual leaders are hostages,” Paylan told Al-Monitor.