Galata school returns to Patriarchate, Bartholomew I demands legal recognition
Istanbul (AsiaNews) - The General Directorate for Foundations has decided to return the Galata School that Turkey's secular government confiscated in 1924. The school is located in the famous neighbourhood of Pera, once a mostly Christian enclave and home to Turkey's high bourgeoisie.
Three historic churches, including the famed Panayia (Madonna) Kafatiani Church, were confiscated in 1924 and given to the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, a Turkish national Church set up by the Turkish Republic of Kemal Ataturk in 1924 to undermine the Ecumenical Patriarchate. A certain Papa Eftim I became its first titular head but it has never been able to develop any following. His daughter managed these three churches, but was jailed for her involvement in Ergenekon, an alleged conspiracy by some military and political leaders to overthrow the current government in a coup.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I has launched legal proceedings for the return of the churches taken from the Patriarchate of Constantinople (Phanar).
It is important to stress the important and penetrating statement Bartholomew made concerning the return of the Galata school for they stem from Turkey's failure to recognise the legal status of the Phanar and the Turkish veto on the use of the term 'Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople'.
The ban itself "is not a problem," Bartholomew said, "since all the Churches acknowledge its status as such for it is both an ecclesiastical and an historic term". The title that comes with it "is honorary, not political. Ultimately, whether Turkish authorities acknowledge it or not is not important. What matters is whether they prevent us from using it since it is acknowledged by all other Churches."
"What matters the most to us is being legally recognised in this country, of which we are citizens; i.e. recognising us as a legal entity," Bartholomew explained.
The ecumenical patriarch's statement was much discussed in Istanbul's diplomatic circles. "For the first time, it is clear that only biased people can deny the historic nature of the titles. The issue is a measure of a country's level of culture and civilisation, which entails recognising the legal status of those who belong to it."
Some diplomats noted that the government in Ankara has been active recently, granting rights more speedily to non-Muslim minorities. The same cannot be said for the Kurdish community, which is quite large. This is a sign that clouds "are dangerously gathering" in the Middle East.
Two days ago, some news reports said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Barack Obama during the nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea, that he had decided to reopen the Greek Orthodox Theological School of Halki. Although the information is present on the White House website, a White House press conference denied the claim. Instead, Obama simply complimented Erdogan and his government for progress in the area of human rights, especially minority protection. Until recently, Turkish policies towards minorities were discriminatory.
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