50 years since Turkey shut the doors to Halki Seminary
50 years ago, the Turkish government closed the doors of Halki Seminary, an institution that served as the main school of theology for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, thus depriving the Ecumenical Patriarchate the ability to train Orthodox clergy in its historic home. In the decades since, the Hellenic community, religious freedom and human rights advocates, and even the US government have called on Turkey to reopen this historic seminary, only to be met with a string of broken promises from Ankara.
Expert Elizabeth Prodromou joins The Greek Current to talk about the significance of Halki Seminary, and why reopening this institution is of the utmost importance today for the survival of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for religious freedoms in Turkey.
Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou is an internationally recognized leader on issues of religion and human rights, and a previous Vice Chair and Commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Dr. Prodromou is also a faculty member at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where she directs the Initiative on Religion, Law, and Diplomacy.
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
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