The Halki Seminary was forcibly closed in 1971

Istanbul, Turkey 7/6/2009

The Orthodox Theological Seminary of Halki is to be reopened, according to statements made by Turkish Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay late last month, adding that they are searching for a formula to integrate the school into Turkey's university system.

"Although we have not finalized a decision in the Cabinet, my personal impression is that we are going to open the seminary," said Gunay, speaking on Kanal 24 television. Ankara has been long pressed by The European Union, and the United States to re-open the seminary to prove their respect for religious freedom rights for the dwindling Christian minority.

U.S. President Barack Obama, in his recent visit to Turkey, openly expressed the issue during his address to the Turkish Parliament, saying, "Freedom of religion and expression lead to a strong and vibrant civil society that only strengthens the state, which is why steps like reopening the Halki Seminary will send such an important signal inside Turkey and beyond." The Turkish government would have to change existing laws to reopen the seminary.

According to news reports, the education ministry recently came up with a report listing different options to reach that aim. One would be to have the school function as an institution or a foundation, while another way could be to tie the seminary directly to the education ministry and the board of higher education. "With the opening of the school, we strengthen ourselves and at the same time render a service to our own citizens on the way towards the EU," Minister Gunay told NTV, another news channel. He also mentioned that the reason for the current delay are internal bureaucratic issues and that the political will is there. In the press conference, he gave the impression that the political decision has already been made.

A few days later however, State Minister and chief negotiator with the EU Egemen Bagis gave conflicting signals on the issue. On Tuesday (July 7th) he said that the issue of re-opening the Greek Orthodox Seminary on the island of Halki should be considered a domestic affair rather than a bilateral matter. "This is an obligation of Turkish authorities to meet the expectations of our fellow citizens," Bagis was quoted as saying. He called on Greece to make a similar gesture of good will by expanding the rights of its Turkish minority. In a separate meeting with high media executives, he urged them to support the move internally and pressure the Parliament to approve the re-opening, which will give Turkey a negotiating chip in the EU accession process by showing good faith.

Parallelly, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill called on Turkish authorities on Monday (July 6th) to re-open the Greek Orthodox Seminary on the island of Halki, in a bid to strengthen religious freedoms and minority rights. His comment followed talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.

The century-old seminary was forcibly closed in 1971, depriving the Ecumenical Patriarchate its only facility to train clergy in Turkey for nearly four decades now.

VOTING ALERT!
CCN Turk is hosting an Online Poll asking whether the Halki Seminary should re-open. Click on the link abvoe to vote! For those who do not understand Turkish, the poll can be found by scrolling down on the right side of the Colum with large letters "ANKET" with the question "Sizce Heybeliada Ruhban Okulu acilimail mi?" YES in Turkish is EVET, then click on the red button below to cast your vote!

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