US re-enforces support for Halki reopening - The Best from Greece

Speaking earlier this week US Vice President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, Tony Blinken told reporters that he supported the reopening of the Halki Seminary and urged Turkey to improve fundamental human rights, freedom of expression and religion.

 

Both US President Obama as well as Vice President Biden have in the past voiced support for the reopening of the ecumenical patriarchate's Halki theological seminary.

 

The school, situated on the island of Halki in the Sea of Marmara has operated from 1844 but was closed in 1971.

 

The 2001 election victory of the Justice and Development party (AKP), in Turkey, has delivered waves of optimism over the reopening of the school in the past decade.

 

The AKP administration has made it a foreign policy goal to gain membership into the European Union. In turn the EU has demanded that Ankara make a number of reforms including the strengthening religious minority freedoms, freedom of expression and human rights.

 

In September 2003 Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting on the issue. Two days later the than Turkish Education Minister Huseyin Celik openly expressed support for the reopening of Halki in an interview published in the Turkish daily Milliyet under the title A Substantial Move by the Government: 'The Theological School Should Open'.

 

In 2009 US President Obama demonstrated his support for the opening of Halki. At a meeting with Patriarch Vartholomeos at the White House. “The president reinforced his support for the mission of the Ecumenical Patriarch, a leader of global standing, and for the opening of the Halki Seminary in Istanbul,” a White House statement said of the November 3, 2009 meeting.

 

The AKP which find's its roots in moderate political Islam has without a doubt worked hard to improve religious freedoms, but ahead of Biden’s visit to Turkey this week, criticism has been voiced in Washington.

 

The US vice president will fly into Ankara today where he will meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish PM Erdogan. On Sunday Biden will visit Athens and is due to meet President Papoulias as well as show support for the new interim government.