It might be true, we are crucifying the patriarch<\/strong><\/p>\nI don\u2019t agree with Foreign Minister Davuto\u011flu. The patriarch is right. The state, with its ignorance of a Turkish institution for 38 years, has not been able to keep its word and has crucified the patriarch.<\/p>\n
No offense, but the culture and custom of crucifying exists in our state. It did not only apply it to the Patriarchate but also to its citizens and institutions, and it continues to do so.<\/p>\n
For those who don\u2019t know, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew is a leader who is followed by millions of Orthodox people from all over the world and one who holds the international status of a patriarch in the heart of a Muslim country. And we, who are supposed to be proud of this, underestimate it by calling him a patriarch based in Istanbul\u2019s Fener neighborhood.<\/p>\n
As if we are asked or allowed to make a decision. Even if we don\u2019t accept his ecumenical presence, Bartholomew is one of the most important religious functionaries living in Istanbul. His international influence is enormous and he can immediately reach any person he wishes to reach. He is a leader for who millions of people get in line to kiss his hand.<\/p>\n
This country has lived with conspiracy theories for many years. The Patriarchate has been viewed as an institution that sneaks plans about dividing Turkey so Greece can invade the country anew. (!) When his ecumenical presence is accepted, people thought the Christians would create a Vatican in Turkey. This absurd theory was supported by the state, military and some nationalists.<\/p>\n
AKP’s promises…<\/strong><\/p>\nThe AKP was the first to object. After Tayyip Erdo\u011fan came to power, relations with the patriarch went back to normal. He often met with the patriarch and promised to work \u2013 and actually did work \u2013 on a solution for the Halki seminary, which persists since 1971.<\/p>\n
Bartholomew\u2019s problem with Turkey, and maybe the sole problem, is not being able to open up the Halki seminary. Because this seminary cannot be reopened, no religious functionary could be placed in Istanbul for 38 years now. The patriarch wastes away with each passing day. Turkey is forced to import external religious functionaries for the 15 to 20 churches in the country. The danger arises of leaving the Patriarchate in the hands of externally educated Orthodox religious functionaries.<\/p>\n
Please be informed that the Sen Sinod, which is considered the parliament of the Patriarch, is in danger. It will not be able to gather after a while because the number of religious functionaries who are Turkish citizens is decreasing progressively. To bridge the gap, we import religious functionaries from Greece and engage in deception to naturalize them in Turkey.<\/p>\n
Besides, the Halki seminary was closed in 1971 only to link other religious colleges to universities, even though it was not a private college. Other colleges that were closed at that time were linked to universities and continued on their path, but the Halki seminary never reopened. Despite the Treaty of Lausanne and despite it being a minority right, we ignored our own signature. It could have been reopened as a religious occupation school connected to the Ministry of National Education. We did not reopen it.<\/p>\n
For years, we waited for a response from Greece. We kept the Halki seminary hostage, trying to force the acceptance of western Thrace muftis being elected by the people.<\/p>\n
This is our shame in respect to the patriarch. A great injustice. A great despotism. This is the logic of interchange. And Erdo\u011fan was the one to oppose this. I have witnessed it.<\/p>\n
The AKP\u2019s Education Minister H\u00fcseyin \u00c7elik in his innumerous statements said, \u201cLeave it up to me and I\u2019ll reopen it in 24 hours.\u201d He repeated persistently that this is a great injustice done to the patriarch.<\/p>\n
This logic won\u2019t lead us anywhere<\/strong><\/p>\nSo why can\u2019t it be reopened? All pious forces resist. And now we hear the same reasons: \u201cThere is no mosque in Athens… western Thrace muftis are appointed by the state… why should we in this case please the patriarch?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Patriarchate is our own institution. And the patriarch is a Turkish citizen. The Halki seminary will educate Turkish citizens and be wholly under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.<\/p>\n
Those in western Thrace are all Greek citizens. And as citizens of Europe, they are in a position to pursue their rights. The patriarch asks, \u201cIs it my fault that there are no mosques in Athens or that muftis are appointed by the Greek state?\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that\u2019s where the interchange logic surfaces. The logic is, they pressure me and I\u2019ll pressure them. Whereas the one pressured is one of us, our own citizen, and the Patriarchate belongs to us. Instead of taking good care, we push it around. Bartholomew is a well-respected and cautious person.<\/p>\n
He always took great care to get along with the administration, always praising Turkey abroad and acting like a Turkish citizen. He never ever used the immense religious power on hand.<\/p>\n
Can we expect them to understand us?<\/strong><\/p>\nIf today he says in daily Habert\u00fcrk and on the American CBS television, \u201cEnough now. I feel crucified\u2026 I have no choice but to take this matter to the European Court of Human Rights,\u201d then we need to pay attention.<\/p>\n
The patriarch calls out to Ankara and to the prime minister, who he perceives as his friend. \u201cPlease save me,\u201d he says. He wants us to keep our word, which was given years ago. Turkey won\u2019t gain from crucifying the patriarch. On the contrary, we\u2019d be humiliated. But if it did the opposite and reopened the Halki seminary, it would provide Ankara with unbelievable prestige, which doesn\u2019t cost much. And those who criticize Turkey before Europe would shut up. Turkey would claim its minorities, and understand its Christian citizens.<\/p>\n
If we don\u2019t understand other religions, how can we expect Europe to understand Islam? I am confused. How come the prime minister cannot keep his word? Cannot overcome pious circles? Cannot show the same amount of courage he showed in the Kurdish and Armenian initiatives? Let\u2019s finally listen to Bartholomew. Otherwise, let\u2019s not get angry if he goes before the European Court of Human Rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Mehmet Ali Birand in Hurriyet (Monday, December 21, 2009): It might be true, we are crucifying the patriarch I don\u2019t agree with Foreign Minister Davuto\u011flu. The patriarch is right. The state, with its ignorance of a Turkish institution for 38 years, has not been able to keep its word and has crucified the patriarch. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1784],"tags":[45,1148,160,296,613,50,49],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5218"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5224,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218\/revisions\/5224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aoiusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}