The systemic discrimination experienced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Turkish authorities is recorded in the State Department’s report on religious freedoms around the world for the year 2022. At the same time, reference is made to the constant appeal of the American side for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki.

The annual report on religious freedom is addressed to Congress, and describes the state of religious freedom around the world, containing a separate chapter for each country. The report addresses government policies that violate the religious beliefs and practices of groups, religious denominations, and individuals, as well as U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. The US State Department is submitting this report pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The record of religious freedoms in Turkey

According to the State Department report, the government continued not to recognize the leadership or administrative structures of non-Muslim minorities, such as the Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Chief Rabbinate. The fact that they are not recognized as legal persons means that they cannot buy or hold title to property or make claims in court. These three groups, along with other minority religious communities, had to rely on previously organized independent institutions overseen by separate governing boards to own and control their religious property.

The government again granted permission to the Ecumenical Patriarchate to hold annual services in Panagia Sumela of the 4th century in Trebizond. In February, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as “desecration” images that appeared on social media showing a band playing electronic music inside the venue. The Turkish government again did not allow the Patriarchate to hold the annual services at the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos in Cappadocia.

The government continued to provide training to Sunni Muslim clerics, but restricted other religious groups from training clerics within the country. The Greek Orthodox and Armenian Patriarchates continue to be unable to conduct formal theological education within the country.

The government does not officially recognize the status of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I as the leader of the world’s approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians, although political leaders and government echelons appear to recognize it unofficially. The government’s official position remains that the Ecumenical Patriarch is the religious leader only of the Greek Orthodox minority within the country.

The government continued to allow only Turkish citizens to vote in the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate or to have the possibility to be elected to the position of Patriarch. It continued its practice of granting citizenship to Greek Orthodox metropolitans under the terms of a 2011 government solution aimed at expanding the pool of candidates. The government continued to argue that the leaders of the Greek Orthodox (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Armenian Apostolic Orthodox and Jewish communities should be Turkish citizens.

On September 12-13, the US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom met in Ankara and Istanbul with government leaders, representatives of civil society and various religious communities. In a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he reiterated the US government’s support for the reopening of the Holy School of Halki and urged the government to grant permission for the training of Greek Orthodox clergy.

As for Hagia Sophia, it is noted that the government turned it back into a mosque in 2020 and that there were reports of vandalism targeting Christian elements.

The registration of religious libertarians in Greece

The State Department report notes that NGOs reported no significant progress during the year in resolving Holocaust-era Jewish property claims, which include claims by foreign nationals. Several Holocaust-era property claims remained open as of year’s end.

On February 13, Health Minister Pleuris apologized to the Jewish community for “offensive views” he had expressed when he was a member of the LAOS party. Pleuris stated that he “unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism” and had distanced himself from his father, Konstantinos Pleuris.

In May, an Athens court sentenced a deposed monk to a one-year suspended prison sentence for inciting violence against Jews. In February, an Athens court sentenced two human rights activists to 12-month suspended prison terms on false charges of racist and anti-Semitic hate speech against a Greek Orthodox Metropolitan.

In March, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and local officials participated in a march in Thessaloniki to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.

On July 20, the Parliament passed a law designating the government-sponsored Athens Mosque in the Botanikos area as the religious center of Muslims in Greater Athens (Attica Region). The law mandated the Athens Mosque Management Committee to advise the government on Islam.

In August, Parliament amended the process by which the government appoints muftis in Thrace. Some Turkish-speaking members of Thrace’s Muslim minority continued to oppose the government’s practice of appointing muftis, pushing instead for direct election of muftis by the community.

The government continued to state that appointments are the correct practice because muftis perform a judicial function and the Constitution requires judges to be appointed, not elected. In addition, the government allows muftis to practice Sharia in family and inheritance matters, with notarized consent from all parties involved.