Greece would see Halki seminary reopening as positive sign of Turkey’s intentions: Official

ATHENS – Anatolia News Agency

Greek government is awaiting steps from Ankara, Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekuras has said. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜLER

A Turkish decision to reopen the Halki Greek Orthodox seminary on Istanbul’s Heyebeliada island would be a positive sign of the Turkish government’s intentions and will, Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekuras has said. 

Commenting on Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s statements in March acknowledging the need to open the theological seminary, Delavekuras said today that the Greek government was now awaiting steps from Ankara. 

However, Delavekuras criticized Ankara’s expectation of a reciprocal gesture from Athens regarding the need for muftis in Western Thrace. 

“The thousands of Muslims can answer on the reciprocity principle as they live under a state of law and share equal rights and responsibilities before the law. However, the merely hundreds of Greeks remaining from the hundreds of thousands that lived in Istanbul will not be able to do so,” Delavakuras said. “It would be preferable that these sorts of statements that do not contribute to pursuing and reinforcing the atmosphere of agreement between our countries cease.”