Davutoglu and Bartholomew I: Christians between Turkey and Syria
Istanbul (AsiaNews) - Winds of change are blowing in Turkish diplomacy regarding how to address the problem of non-Muslim minorities in the country, particularly Christians. The issue is also important for the future of Christians in Syria, given that Turkey is among the countries pushing most towards a change of the Assad regime.
A climate of a very different nature now pervades between the Turkish government and minorities. As much has clearly emerged from the March 3 visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to the Fanar, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The visit went almost unnoticed in the media, but it is the first ever made by the chief diplomat in Ankara, known as a proponent of the neo-Ottoman policy.
This is the second visit in the space of a year by a member of the government after that of the deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc, in January 2011.
Davutoglu introduces a new approach between non-Muslim minorities, living on these lands for centuries, and the central power. It consists of placing consultations and exchange of views at the centre of relations, in order to share experiences, the result of ancient wisdom, knowledge and cosmopolitan experience, which for centuries have always distinguished the presence of these minorities. The launch of this new phase was the meeting with Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, whose international prestige and authority is evident.
The same Bartholomew recalled that "the Christian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate are on these lands and in this city for over 15 centuries and are well rooted."
Bartholomew also spoke of the dialogue initiated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the last 25 years and the experience gained in these initiatives. And also spoke amply on the last Synaxis of Orthodox Primates, convened by the Fanar last September, to discuss the crisis in the Middle East and the problems that plague the Christian communities, residents for over two millennia in these lands.
In his statements, Davutoglu expressed Ankara's desire for the harmonious coexistence of all religious communities of the Turkish Republic, who, with their wealth, are "a source of enrichment for our common cultural heritage".
He also appreciated the efforts undertaken by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in interreligious dialogue. This dialogue - he added - should be stepped up "to restore that sense of security that has been shaken, with the latest changes that are occurring in those areas of the Middle East, fuelling fears and creating insecurity among the Christian communities of the region."
Diplomatic circles in Istanbul comment that these considerations relate mostly to the Christian minorities of Syria, in a predominantly Sunni country, for decades ruled in an authoritarian manner by an Alawite minority, to which the Assad family belongs. The Syrian Christian minorities belong to the 'Old Orthodox Patriarchate of the Melkite Church of Antioch and which, with other small communities belong to the Catholic world. Under the Assad regime, Christians have enjoyed a certain autonomy and religious tolerance, but now with the imminent regime change, they see their future as uncertain. It must be said that Turkey is one of the instigators of this change in Damascus.
The same diplomatic circles point out also the importance and the spiritual greatness of Constantinople, whose prestige and authority were never imposed. Following the ancient Orthodox canons, the Fanar has always tried to earn her authority as a result of mutual respect. For this the Patriarchate has always looked with suspicion on and avoided being an instrument of political pressure.
While Davutglu expressed a desire to visit the library of the Theological School of Halki, the Ecumenical Patriarch commented that "compared to the past, the climate has changed a lot."
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