Turkish politician accuses Head of Phanar of violating the Constitution

Turkish politician: Phanar is an organization exclusively confined to the Fatih district administration. Photo: Aydinlik

Ibrahim Okan Özkan, Chairman of the "Vatan" Party in Istanbul Province, Turkey, claimed that the "Greek Patriarchate of Phanar," which aspires to the title of "Ecumenical," conducts activities that contradict the Turkish Constitution and laws, according to the Aydinlik publication.

In a statement to the press, Okan Özkan highlighted that Phanar's leader, Bartholomew, frequently uses the adjective "ecumenical" when referring to his patriarchate. This claim, he stressed, has no connection to reality.

He recalled that, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the patriarchate was allowed to remain in Istanbul on the condition that it would operate solely as a religious institution for the Greek community and refrain from engaging in political activities.

"A ruling by the 4th Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals stated that the claim of the Patriarchate being ecumenical has no legal basis. Additionally, according to a letter from the Governor of Istanbul dated December 6, 1923, those participating in religious and spiritual elections in the Patriarchate must be Turkish citizens and actively serving in Turkey at the time of the elections. This clearly indicates that the Patriarchate does not hold the ecumenical title," the statement said.

The politician asserted that the "Greek Patriarchate of Phanar" cannot claim to be "ecumenical," i.e., "the leader of all Orthodox Christians worldwide." He emphasized that Phanar is an organization exclusively connected to the Fatih district administration.

"On November 25, 2024, the Greek Patriarch of Phanar, Bartholomew, a representative of the Fatih district, visited Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis. We ask the Greek Patriarch of Phanar, as a Turkish cleric associated with the Fatih district, what did you discuss during your meeting with the Greek Prime Minister? Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated that the Greek people deeply love the Patriarch and need him more than ever. Following this meeting, the Greek press declared Bartholomew the 'Ecumenical Patriarch,'" Özkan noted with surprise.

Referring to Bartholomew’s creation of the OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine), Özkan called it a violation of the Treaty of Lausanne and emphasized that the head of Phanar had no authority to undertake such actions. He added that, according to available information, searches were conducted in churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and clergy faced arrests and even beatings.

The politician claimed that "the United States aims to create a Vatican out of the Greek Orthodox Church of Phanar and a pope out of the church’s priest. The Greek Patriarchate of Phanar is a Greek church within the Fatih district. Bartholomew, a priest of the church, is a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, and his jurisdiction is limited to Turkey."

"We urgently call on the government to take action against the Greek Patriarchate of Phanar, which violates the Treaty of Lausanne, disregards Turkey’s sovereign rights, and conducts activities that contradict the Turkish Constitution and laws!" Özkan concluded.

As the UOJ previously reported, Metropolitan Luke spoke to Turkish media about the crisis caused by Phanar's policies.

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