Positive signals for Halki Seminary
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has voiced optimism that the historic Halki Seminary would reopen soon, indicating that efforts to this end are moving rapidly.
“We are now certain that we are on the verge of reopening our school, always with the grace of God,” the spiritual leader of the world’s Greek Orthodox Christians said at the inauguration of the nonprofit Byzantine Thessaloniki Center and an exhibition marking the seminary’s 180 years of contribution to education and humanity.
“I am very optimistic that the sacred desire of all of us who are in any way connected to the school will be fulfilled, because the order to those in charge of the Ministry of Education came from above, from His Excellency, President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” he noted.
The remarks by the Istanbul-based patriarch came after Turkey’s education minister, Yusuf Tekin, indicated that Ankara has prepared a roadmap for the seminary’s reopening.
This was preceded by two meetings between a small delegation from the seminary and the advisors of the Turkish education minister to find a formula for its operation. In fact, a five-member committee from the Ecumenical Patriarchate is expected to travel to Ankara next week to discuss the technical details.
The formula that the two sides have come up with is for the seminary to operate under the status of a private university, owned by a foundation and under the jurisdiction of Turkey’s Higher Education Council, as is the case with all state and private universities in Turkey. It will consist of the departments of Theology, Philosophy and, perhaps, Fine Arts.
The seminary, located on the island of Halki (Heybeliada), was closed in 1971 by the Turkish government. Since then, there has been ongoing pressure from international and religious communities to reopen the school.
Its reopening would represent a significant development for Orthodox Christians globally, as it has been a vital institution for training priests since its establishment in 1844. Turkey’s prolonged refusal to reopen the seminary has been a contentious issue, especially regarding its European Union accession negotiations.
Turkey’s willingness to collaborate on this issue aligns with its broader strategy of rapprochement with Europe. Reopening the Halki Seminary would be a positive step towards improving Turkey’s record on religious freedoms and human rights, while further alleviating tensions with Greece.
If negotiations conclude successfully, the seminary could reopen within two years.
