Orthodox seminary in Istanbul may reopen soon: Reports

ISTANBUL

A historic Orthodox seminary located on one of Princes' Islands is poised to potentially resume its educational activities after a prolonged hiatus, Bartholomew I of Istanbul's Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has told the Greek press.

As reported by the Athens News Agency, during his visit to Thessaloniki, Bartholomew expressed "profound optimism" about the near-term revival of the seminary on Heybeliada, also known as the Halki seminary, emphasizing the swift progress of efforts toward its revival.

"The endeavor to reopen the seminary is advancing at an accelerated pace. Türkiye's Education Minister [Yusuf Tekin] visited the seminary and held discussions with the abbot in charge. Subsequently, the abbot, accompanied by a delegation from the seminary, traveled to Ankara to maintain dialogue and negotiations," the patriarch remarked, recalling Tekin’s visit to the seminary in May.

During that visit, the minister indicated that preparations were underway within his ministry to facilitate the reopening, signaling a significant step toward reinstating the seminary’s operations after years of closure.

Bartholomew further stated that a substantial delegation from the Patriarchate will visit the Turkish capital in the coming week to delve into the technical specifics surrounding the issue.

In a televised interview last week, Tekin reiterated that the reopening of the seminary is a "political decision" to be made by the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.

"If I am instructed to proceed with the reopening, we have already prepared a roadmap following our visit to the seminary. Our technical groundwork has been completed, and a report has been submitted. We will convene for a final meeting soon,” Tekin expressed.

Officials from Istanbul’s directorate of the ministry, the body that will oversee the reinstatement of educational activities if the reopening is approved, reported increased activity on the matter in recent months but clarified that no formal directive has been issued yet.

Meanwhile, daily Hürriyet reported that renovations have been underway at the seminary for some time, which could be interpreted as preparatory work for its reopening.

The seminary, established in 1844 to educate Orthodox Christian clergy, ceased its operations in 1971 following a ruling by Türkiye’s Constitutional Court that mandated private higher education institutions, including the seminary, to be integrated into state universities.

When the Patriarchate refused this stipulation, the seminary was shuttered the same year. During its operational years between 1844 and 1971, the seminary was revered as the foremost Orthodox theological institution, graduating nearly 1,000 clergy members, including 12 patriarchs, one of whom is Bartholomew himself.