wfn.org | GOAA - Ecumenical Patriarchate Leaders Meet Turkish Officials

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GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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Email: communications@goarch.org

For Immediate Release
February 20, 2004

Contact: Anthony J. Limberakis, MD
Archon Aktouarios & National Commander
215-676-5100 x333

ARCHON LEADERS RETURN FROM
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
AND CRITICAL MEETINGS IN ANKARA

New York, NY - A delegation of leaders of the Archons of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate / Order of Saint Andrew returned last week from a series of
long-planned critical meetings with key Turkish officials in Istanbul and
Ankara aimed at improving the status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in
Turkey.  These meetings follow similar deliberations held by the Archons 16
months ago when they were last in Turkey.

Headed by National Commander, Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, and representing
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch in
America, the Archon leaders met first with Provincial Governor Muammer
Guler and Mayor Ali Gurtuna of Istanbul and accompanied United States
Ambassador to Turkey, Eric S. Edelman, on his first official visit to His
All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar.  While at the
Phanar during their four day visit to Turkey, the Archon leadership met
privately with His All Holiness to seek his guidance on various initiatives
of the Archons of America.

After a banquet in honor of His All Holiness attended by leading Turkish
citizens including members of the press, academia and the business
community, and the conveying of condolences to the Deputy Chief of Police
in the Beyoglu District and the Chief Rabbi of Turkey Isak Haleva for the
loss of life in the recent tragic bombings in Istanbul, the delegation was
accompanied by Ambassador Edelman to meetings in Ankara with the Ministers
of Education, Interior and Religion.

In frank discussions, that included Father Alex Karloutsos and other Archon
leaders, John Halecky, Jr., Christopher Stratakis, Dr. Spiro Macris,
Alexander Pritsos and Stephen Cherpelis, National Commander Limberakis
raised the issues of the reopening of the Theological School at Halki,
property rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, interference in the
succession of the Ecumenical Patriarch and Holy Synod and recognition by
Turkey of the "ecumenicity" of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Minister of Education, Huseyin Celik, re-affirmed the Turkish Government's
recently announced position that the Theological School of Halki should be
opened and stated that a report presenting various options on how to open
the school had been completed and is being circulated within the government
for ultimate presentation to His All Holiness. Minister of Interior
Abdulkadir Aksu said, "It was time" to resolve questions of property rights
and the status of the foundations and associations. Minister of Religion
Mehmet Aydin tied the resolution of issues relating to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate to Turkey's getting a date from the European Union for
accession talks.

Ambassador Edelman, present at all the talks, expressed the US
Administration's support for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the
long-time advocacy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a matter of United
States policy, emphasizing that it rests on the importance to all Americans
of religious freedom.

Earlier in the day in Ankara, the Archons held a tribute luncheon in honor
of Ambassador Edelman where members of the Turkish Parliament, academia,
diplomatic corps including the Ambassador of Greece Michael B. Christides
and Papal Nuncio to Turkey Rev. Dr. Edmond Farhat and the press were
present.

After the meetings, Dr. Limberakis indicated that he was hopeful that a
formula could be developed so that the Halki School of Theology could
reopen and that the other serious issues of concern would be addressed by
the new Turkish government, headed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in a
manner that would benefit the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Turkey and the
United States.	According to Commander Limberakis, the meetings held with
the new Turkish government were more productive than those in the past.
Father Karloutsos, who is familiar with the life and history of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate for the last 20 years, said he had never seen a
better atmosphere for the improvement of the status of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate in Turkey.

Archon leaders also visited two patriarchal institutions: the Balukli
Hospital, and Home for the Aged, a medical complex with 650 inpatient beds
serving 40-50,000 patients a year and in operation for 250 years and the
Great School of the Nation, which is celebrating its 550th anniversary
preserving the Hellenic heritage and Orthodox faith established in 1454,
one year following the fall of Constantinople.

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