Patriarch Bartholomew’s remarks, in which he likened his treatment by the Turkish government to crucifixion, led to disappointment and anger in Ankara. Speaking to Milliyet, Bartholomew did not take back what he said earlier, noting that what he said was a “reality.”
Speaking in an interview with “60 Minutes” for a story broadcast in the United States on Sunday night, Patriarch Bartholomew said Turkey’s Greek Orthodox community does not feel it enjoys complete freedom as Turkish citizens and that it feels it is treated as “second-class citizens.” During his interview with the Turkish paper yesterday, Bartholomew said he used the word crucifixion figuratively, but that everyone has gotten overly fixated on this phrase. “It was supposed to mean we have problems,” he said.
Repeatedly noting that the Halki Seminary has kept closed for 39 years, Bartholomew said most of the metropolitans in Europe are over 70 years old and that they expect new men of religion from the patriarchate. Another issue that he complained about during his interview with Milliyet was that discussions and projects about the Halki Seminary are being carried out in secret in Ankara and that the patriarchate does not have any information on this. On the opening of the seminary, the leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world said the government intends to open the seminary but “perhaps the deep state does not want it to be opened.”
“We are running out of people, patience and there is no solution. If there were no pilgrims from Greece, our churches would be empty. There are only 3,000 Greeks left,” he added. Making mention of the Cage plan, a recently revealed plot that aimed to kill non-Muslims to bring about chaos in the country, Bartholomew pointed to an article published by the Zaman daily to show that he, along with Armenian Patriarch Mesrob and prominent Jewish businessman Ishak Alaton, were on the hit list. “What more can I say? Is this not crucifixion?” he asked.
