The renovation of the long-closed Greek Orthodox school on the island of Heybeliada in Istanbul is expected to be completed in September, although it has not yet received approval to resume operations, the patriarchate said on Sunday.
The Halki Seminary was established in the mid-19th century and served as the main theological school of the Eastern Orthodox Church until it was closed under Turkish law in 1971.
Despite long-standing calls for its reopening led by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the site has remained shut, though he recently struck an optimistic tone.
“We are also optimistic regarding the reopening of the Holy Theological School of Halki,” the patriarch said in Athens.
“In the coming months, the extensive renovation works on the school’s building complex will be completed, and, God willing, we shall celebrate its inauguration this coming September,” he added.
However, patriarchate spokesperson Nikos Papachristou has said there are no immediate plans to restart teaching, stressing the focus is on completing the works and formally inaugurating the restored buildings.
The issue has also drawn international attention, including from Washington and the European Union, amid broader concerns about religious freedoms in Turkey.
Source: The Australian
