Patriarch Bartholomew expressed spiritual support to the Gagauz people of Ukraine

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew, has expressed his unwavering support for the Turkic-speaking Orthodox people of Ukraine during an official meeting in Istanbul and emphasized that he offers daily prayers for a speedy end to the war in the country.

As participants of the event reported on Facebook, the Patriarch’s meeting with representatives of the Gagauz community at the Fanar was held in the Gagauz-Turkic language. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry with the personal participation of the Consul General in Istanbul Roman Nedilskyy. During the dialog, His Holiness assured those present: “I will always be with the Gagauz of Ukraine,” reaffirming the deep connection of the Patriarchate of Constantinople with this ethnic group.

Today in Ukraine live about 30 thousand Gagauz, whose ancestors moved to Bessarabia from the Balkan Peninsula in the early XIX century. The main part of the community is concentrated in Odessa region. Given Constantinople’s role in the country’s contemporary church life, particularly after the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly in 2019, this gesture of support is of particular importance for the region. Despite past differences in assessments of the situation in Ukraine, the Patriarchate continues to demonstrate active involvement in humanitarian and religious issues of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.