Turkey сontinues to deny ecumenical status of the Church of Constantinople

Patriarch Bartholomew in Thessaloniki. Photo: Press Service of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Turkey continues to deny the ecumenical status of the Church of Constantinople, refusing to recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul as such. This position was reaffirmed in a recent letter by Hakan Fidan – former head of Turkey’s intelligence service and now the country’s foreign minister – addressed to members of the Turkish parliament.

In the letter, Fidan states that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has no special legal or international status beyond its limited role as the spiritual leadership of the Greek Orthodox community in Turkey.

Fidan, who headed Turkey’s intelligence service for ten years before assuming his current position, wrote that the title 'Ecumenical' is “an internal matter of the Orthodox world and theology.” According to him, it pertains to Christian theology and studies and "does not entail any rights or privileges in our country or internationally.”

The minister emphasized that while Patriarch Bartholomew occasionally takes part in international meetings – some of them involving Turkey – his participation is limited to “spiritual issues.” Fidan also noted that in Turkey the Patriarch does not use the title 'Ecumenical' in official correspondence or communication with state bodies, and Ankara itself refrains from applying this designation in dealings with the Patriarchate.

As justification, Fidan cited the 2010 opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, which, he said, confirmed that Turkey is under no legal obligation to recognize the title.

Ankara insists that under the Lausanne Convention, the Patriarchate’s role is confined to meeting the religious needs of Turkey’s small Greek Orthodox minority.

The letter makes clear that the Turkish state continues to fear that recognition of the Patriarchate’s ecumenical role could open the door to international privileges comparable to those enjoyed by the Vatican.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a criminal case had been opened against Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul.

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