The head of the world’s Orthodox Christians, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew resides in Istanbul, Turkey. In violation of international laws and basic U.S. principles on religious freedom, Turkey both refuses to recognize the ecumenical role of the Patriarchate nor allows him to run his theological school, the Halki School of Theology. The closure of this theological institute in 1971 has made impossible the training of new generations of religious leaders and made impossible the passing on of Orthodox traditions to new generations of Orthodox Christians.

These actions threaten not only the human rights and religious freedoms of the 200,000 religious minorities currently residing in Turkey, but also violate the basic rights and religious freedoms of the more than 300 million Orthodox Christians living worldwide. These actions demonstrate a further breaking apart from democratic modes of governance and a respect for human rights – trends indicating the further destabilizing of the Eastern Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East. The American Hellenic Council calls for a full return of the religious rights and freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Greek and other religious minorities in Turkey, as well as the re-opening of the Halki Patriarchal School of Theology so that Orthodoxy can keep on being passed down to new generations.