Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Turkey Planning Islamic Studies Center on Island where Orthodox Seminary Remains Closed for 45 Years
Pravoslavie ^ | 8/9/18

Posted on 08/12/2018 7:23:19 AM PDT by marshmallow

The Turkish government made an announcement on August 2 that is likely to increase tensions between the state and its Orthodox Christians.

While the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s seminary on the island of Halki has remained closed since 1971, Turkey has announced that it intends to open an Islamic studies center on the same island. Moreover, building plans have the Global Center for Islamic Studies situated right in front of the Orthodox seminary building, reports Sedmitza.

According to experts, the opening of the Islamic studies center would completely rule out the possibility of reopening the seminary, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been working for for years, thus far unsuccessfully.

The theological school was founded in 1844 with the permission of Sultan Abdulmejid I and operated until 1971 when the Turkish authorities decided to close it. Rumors about the seminary’s reopening have been circulating since 2010. The building was recently renovated, and Turkish President Erdogan has promised Patriarch Bartholomew that the seminary would reopen, perhaps even this fall, although analysts are wary.

Erdogan has previously offered to reopen the seminary in exchange for the building of a mosque in Thessaloniki.

According to Fuat Bekiroglu, the head of the Halki Department for Religious Affairs, Turkey’s first step should be to transfer the island’s pine forests to the department. The forest lands previously belonged to the St. George Monastery of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and the Transfiguration Hermitage of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, until they were confiscated by Ataturk’s government in 1920.

(Excerpt) Read more at orthochristian.com ...


TOPICS: Islam; Orthodox Christian; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: erdogan; kurdistan; receptayyiperdogan; turkey

1 posted on 08/12/2018 7:23:19 AM PDT by marshmallow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: marshmallow
We should be defending Christians and other ethnic minorities against Turkey, in Turkey, northern Iraq and Syria. Instead, we're in NATO with them, as their brand of governance overtakes the EU.

It's past time to get out of NATO.

2 posted on 08/12/2018 7:32:03 AM PDT by grania (President Trump, stop believing the Masters of War!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grania

Or better yet, kick Turkey out of NATO.


3 posted on 08/12/2018 9:13:26 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: grania
Turkey is another one of those countries that needs to be erased from the face of the Earth.
 
4 posted on 08/12/2018 9:14:40 AM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: grania

Well the USA runs NATO.


5 posted on 08/12/2018 9:15:10 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Governor Dinwiddie

for the last 1500 years or so


6 posted on 08/12/2018 9:15:39 AM PDT by morphing libertarian (Use Comey's Report; Indict Hillary now. --- Proud Smelly Walmart Deplorable)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Biggirl
Well the USA runs NATO

Germany, France, and Turkey could easily get us in situations that have nothing to do with our security. The invasion of the EU which Merkel and her elitist know-it-all global buddies have enabled, and add to that expansion of NATO beyond its appropriate sphere, could have us defending nations very different from what we were defending after WW2.

7 posted on 08/12/2018 9:46:09 AM PDT by grania (President Trump, stop believing the Masters of War!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: marshmallow

Seeing as how mainstream Orthodoxy is as liberal and ecumenical as blazes (they’re part of the national and world councils of churches), I can’t see them bucking political correctness here.


8 posted on 08/12/2018 11:30:04 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator ("Conservatism" without G-d is just another form of Communism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zionist Conspirator

Crusades 3 time
Not kidding


9 posted on 08/12/2018 12:35:14 PM PDT by Truthoverpower (The guvmint you get is the Trump winning express !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Truthoverpower
Crusades 3 time
Not kidding

Not gonna happen with all the mainstream Orthodox honchos Masons and ecumenists.

10 posted on 08/12/2018 1:28:32 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator ("Conservatism" without G-d is just another form of Communism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

The Three Amigos

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. (photo credit: SPUTNIK/MIKHAIL METZEL/KREMLIN VIA REUTERS)

Column One: Portents of quagmires in Syria

11 posted on 08/12/2018 3:43:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson