A lawsuit is filed in Turkey against the Patriarchate of Constantinople: a dispute over sovereignty in the Aegean Sea and the Halki School

A lawsuit against the Patriarchate of Constantinople filed by former Turkish Defense Ministry Secretary General Umit Yalim has sharpened the church-diplomatic agenda: the claims center on sovereignty over the Aegean islands and the status of the Theological School on the island of Halki, which could increase tensions in Greek-Turkish relations.

According to Vima Orthodoxias, Umit Yalim’s lawsuit is directed personally against Patriarch Bartholomew and dozens of Phanar clerics. According to the publication, the case raises issues of international treaties, sovereign rights and religious presence, questioning the role of the Patriarchate in Turkey and the Aegean region.

In the part concerning the Aegean Islands and international agreements, Yalim argues that the Phanar is involved in «illegal activities» related to the Greek presence on the Eastern Aegean islands, in particular on the islands of Agathonisi, Marathi, Arki and Pharmakonisi, which, according to him, administratively belong to the province of Aydın. These arguments are based on the interpretation of the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923; at the same time, as the publication notes, the Greek side has repeatedly emphasized that the regime of sovereignty over the islands is unambiguous and not subject to revision.

A separate block of the complaint concerns the Halki Theological School. According to Yalim, its activities qualify as «illegal educational activity» that violates international agreements. The material points out that the school, located on the island of Halki near Istanbul, has been closed since 1971 by the decision of the Turkish authorities, but its reopening remains a constant demand of the Orthodox Church and has been repeatedly raised at the international level, including in reports by such structures as the Council of Europe.

The political consequences of the story, according to the estimates given by the publication, may outweigh the legal ones: the linkage of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to issues of sovereignty in the Aegean Sea creates a particularly sensitive context, affecting the relationship between the state and religious institutions in Turkey, as well as Ankara’s perception of the Patriarchate’s role in the region. It is noted that Yalim’s initiative may be related to the general background of tensions between Greece and Turkey.

According to Vima Orthodoxias, the Turkish government has not yet made official comments on Yalim’s complaint. This pause is interpreted by some experts as an attempt to avoid direct involvement in a case that could gain international resonance. At the same time, international organizations, including the United Nations, are closely monitoring the dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, where issues of sovereignty and balance of power remain extremely sensitive.

As the publication emphasizes, the filing of a complaint against the Patriarchate of Constantinople is another indication that the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean continue to be the focus of geopolitical disputes. It remains to be seen whether this initiative will remain a single legal action or will result in a new round of tension between Greece and Turkey.