Erdogan, Trump Discuss Reopening Historic Halki Seminary
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump recently discussed the potential reopening of the historic Halki Seminary. The seminary, closed since 1971, is a significant site for the Greek Orthodox Church.
The Halki Seminary, established in 1844, served as a training ground for the Greek Orthodox Church's clergy. It was shut down following legal changes in 1971. In recent months, efforts to reopen the seminary have gained momentum, with both Turkish officials and representatives of the Patriarchate expressing support.
In 2024, Erdogan and Education Minister Yusuf Tekin publicly backed the seminary's reopening. Erdogan plans to meet with Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, to discuss the reopening. Bartholomew I expects the seminary to admit new students by September 2026. The German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed these plans in 2021.
Erdogan has stated Turkey's readiness to facilitate the reopening of the Halki Seminary on Heybeliada. The seminary's reopening is anticipated to have significant cultural and religious implications for the Greek Orthodox Church and Turkey's religious landscape.
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