By Selçuk Erenerol – Spokesperson of the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate
For a long time, the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch has been continuously supported from home and abroad to fuel its betrayal, completely disregarding the laws of the Republic of Türkiye. These unlawful steps have accelerated so much that the situation has escalated to a point where it is now preparing to breach the wall of sovereignty. The beginning of this betrayal dates back to 1949, the first violation of both the Lausanne Treaty and the Constitution of Republic of Türkiye, when the archbishop named Athenagoras was imported from our so-called ally US, in violation of our laws. This person, who did not even hold Turkish citizenship, was welcomed on the tarmac by Turkish officials and granted citizenship. Today, the point reached with Turkish citizenship being handed out like candy stems from these decades-long, anti-national policies. Governments’ anti-Türkiye and anti-Turkish concessions, which practically rival the capitulations during the last period of the Ottoman Empire, have brought us to these days when the very existence of our Republic is debated, the Constitution is questioned, and the regime is being subtly changed.
The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch, which was characterized by the Eternal Great Leader Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a seat of treason and malice, has been openly and secretly pursuing the policies of a bizarre delusion they call the “Megali Idea” ever since the 1821 genocide against Turks in the Peloponnese. This betrayal, sometimes under the guise of “religious freedom” and as a part of the international “Interfaith Dialogue”, stems directly from the lingering resentment toward the victory of the Republic of Türkiye against all imperialist powers in the War of Independence.
This process of betrayal, which has now become overt, rings alarm bells for us as the harbinger of a great destruction, particularly because of the complacency of the political authorities in our country. This process, tolerated in a manner contrary to the founding values of our country, has now taken an unacceptable dimension.
Why is this resentment? Is it because the Turkish nation, which has carried the banner of civilization for centuries with victories, has always struck fear into its enemies wherever it went with its martial character?
These steps of betrayal inflict pain upon the souls of our martyrs, tens of thousands of the elderly, women, children, and infants massacred in raids on their villages. The Turkish nation, having weathered so much betrayal throughout its history, must awaken from its deep slumber against the treason of ethnic separatists and political religionists. Many from the opposition flank, and primarily the government, knowingly turn a blind eye to this fact. Also, that some are oblivious due to their incompetence in no way diminishes the scale of this betrayal.
The 20th century went down in history as one of the most turbulent eras of all time. It is a century when wars never ended, borders constantly changed, countless massacres were committed, and economy and religion were utilized as weapons. And a century when imperialist powers launched renewed assaults just as the unitary national state structure was attempting to prove its merit. These assaults were at times economically, at times theopolitically, in places through hot warfare, and in other domains as terrorism. Young unitary national states decided to hand in certain powers to new supranational entities. This bait, presented under the pretext that people’s quality of life would increase, has led to states having their hands tied in many fields.
Within this context, the Republic of Türkiye has also formulated policies by bowing to the demands of the US, NATO, the EU, and at times the UN. These concessions have brought all kinds of trouble upon us by tolerating ethnic separatism and political religionism creating parallel structures and laws within the Turkish state and law. Today, those who curse Fethullah (may his resting place be hell) were holding him in high regard just ten years ago.
We have repeatedly written and spoken about how severely the integrity of the State of the Republic of Türkiye is under threat due to the claim of ecumenism. We have tried to explain how and why the Megali Idea, the dream that the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch has been unable to forget since the 1821 Peloponnese massacre, continues and that the fact of this “ideal” no longer being possible as a “Greater Greece” under current conditions will not end their desires. Perhaps the Greater Greece they dream of will no longer be under their desired conditions, yet separatist activities persist with Western support.
Why is the insistence on ecumenism and the reopening of the Halki Seminary under their requested special status so dangerous? Ecumenism has two meanings. The first of these represents the universality of Christianity prior to its division into denominations. The first seven councils convened to make religious decisions are referred to as Ecumenical, meaning universal councils. The second meaning is the sense of “within the Empire,” established through the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which viewed itself as the continuation of Rome after the denominational schism, as the head of all churches within the Eastern Roman Empire. While ecumenism represented the unity of religion, it was turned into a political tool and a control mechanism by the Eastern Roman Empire.
The first council convened by Constantine in Nicaea was aimed at preserving political stability. This was because Christianity, which had begun to spread within the Empire, would create authority problems for the existing administration. These councils, where decisions regarding Christianity had to be made, would over time cause major ruptures between the Eastern and Western heads of the Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire would continue to view itself as the true owner of the Empire and as the true representative of Christianity. In the 21st century, Archbishop Bartholomew, trying to have himself accepted with the title of “Ecumenical Patriarch”, would be hosted in every international platform he attended under the title of the Ecumenical Patriarch of New Rome and Constantinople. In short, perhaps they could no longer establish Greater Greece within the framework of the Megali Idea as they wished, but they would be able to acquire a new living space alongside the co-chairs of the Greater Middle East Project in the New World Order.
The issue of the Halki Seminary, revived in recent years, is now the final step towards their desired goal. The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch’s claim to be the head of all Orthodox Christians worldwide under the title of ecumenism has no legal basis whatsoever. However, should the Halki Seminary be reopened and should they obtain their desired status, this seat of malice and treason will attain the legal status it wants.
While this legal status is being tailored to fit the necessary guise, plans to turn Halki into a Castel Gandolfo are being meticulously orchestrated. Castel Gandolfo is a historical town in Italy known as the summer residence of the Popes. This place is a private property and a religious-administrative center of the Pope. The transformation of Halki into a center of religious leadership with a special status and a privileged position for the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch, alongside the reopening of the Seminary and the increasing real estate presence of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, means the establishment of a Castel Gandolfo-like structure within the borders of the State of the Republic of Türkiye.
The reopening of the Halki Seminary with a special status legally implies that it will gain autonomy. Consequently, so-called titles will gain official recognition, priests who will conduct espionage activities and ideological transmission across the globe will be trained at the Seminary, the founding doctrines of the State of the Republic of Türkiye will be trampled underfoot. This would lead to the abrogation of the Constitution, the Penal Code, the Civil Code, the Education Law, and many others, all religious sects will now be able to demand the same autonomy, and separatists will furthermore lay claim to territory.
The issue of the Halki Seminary has been revived with the initiatives of the US. Instead of being declared persona non grata, so-called diplomats who lecture on how administrations, borders, and politics should be in the Middle East, and who declare the opening date of the Seminary, acting in reality like colonial governors, find in themselves the audacity to interfere in the internal affairs of independent states.
This dangerous game is attempted to be served to the Turkish nation under the guise of “freedom of belief”. In processes where propaganda and mass manipulation are utilized so masterfully, it is unfortunately quite natural for the danger to be ignored by the majority. Moreover, a failure to understand the dynamics of the Christian world, and assuming that this ongoing project of betrayal is harmless, played a role in allowing matters to reach this point.