As the first Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited this Wednesday the closed Greek Orthodox Seminary of Halki in Istanbul. In the framework of a two-day visit to Turkey, Tsipras will participate in a worship service in the monastery of Halki on the island of Heybeliada, like the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople confirmed to the daily mirror.
The small community of Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey is hoping for a re-opening of the Seminary after almost 50 years. “We pray,” it says. Patriarch Bartholomew I said according to his spokesman, the Tsipras-the visit had “great symbolic importance”.
Before his visit in Istanbul, Tsipras was expected on Tuesday for political talks in Ankara. Both sides go in view of the many unresolved problems with low expectations in the first Turkey-Visit of the Greek Prime Minister in nearly three years.
Turkey’s refusal to open since 1971, closed the Seminary, is one of the main points of dispute in the duration of the feud between Ankara and Athens, the burdened, the relationship of Turkey to the EU. Because the Church can train for nearly half a century, no new clergy, from the death of the Greek Orthodox clergy in the former Constantinople gradually. The Patriarchate as the seat of the spiritual head of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world must meet its personnel needs for years with clergy from outside of Turkey.
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The Turkey is demanding the Opening of a mosque in Athens
Tsipras visited the school on a special day. Together with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew he will participate in a mass in honor of St. Photius, the patron Saint of the Seminary. The last visit of a Greek leader on Heybeliada is almost 90 years; acting head of the government of Athens was never on the island.
it is Uncertain whether the Turkish permission for Tsipras visit, pointing to the island of a change in the attitude of Turkey in the dispute to the priest school. Turkey requires the opening of a mosque in Athens, which is announced since years, because of the opposition of the Greek right-wing nationalist, however, we are still waiting for.
Hardened fronts
In an Interview with the official Turkish news Agency Anadolu Tsipras said further reforms to improve the position of the Muslim minority in Greece. The subject could come at a Meeting of the Prime Minister and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
The two have much to discuss, because even in the case of other Greek-Turkish Conflict areas such as the border disputes in the Aegean and the Cyprus Problem, the fronts between the neighbors are hardened. Shortly before the Turkish municipal elections in March, is not expect basic concessions to Ankara in the most important points of contention.
dispute over gas reserves
Controversial, among other things, the exact course of the Maritime boundary between the Nato partners in the Aegean sea. Irritated Turkey also responds to the search for Stocks in the vicinity of the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus: Ankara criticized that some of the Greek part of Cyprus, claimed the gas fields belong to the Turkish sector of the island. Erdogan’s Minister of defence, Hulusi Akar said recently that his country would accept, neither in the Aegean nor in the Mediterranean sea a fait accompli. Tsipras accused Turkey in an interview with Anadolu aggressive behavior.
The refugee issue, there is also need for discussion, because in Greece the number of Turkey the coming of the refugees is rising sharply: According to the UN, around 50,500 people in Greece arrived in the past year, 45 percent more than in 2017. Nevertheless, Tsipras acknowledged in an interview with Anadolu to refugee agreement between Turkey and the EU. Europe needs to support Turkey for the supply of four million refugees.
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Turkey, A Church in Istanbul
Susanne Güsten
According to the agreement, Ankara is to ensure that the refugee numbers remain as low as possible. Turkish authorities and human rights activists accuse the Greeks, in need of protection without a hearing or process in Turkey to return. The Turkish side also criticised the refusal of Athens, suspected of Participating in the coup attempt against Erdogan in Ankara to deliver.