Recall, earlier we reported that the head of the Church of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew called for friendship between Greece and Turkey for the sake of peace in the Mediterranean region. Bartholomew called Greeks and Turks “friendly nations,” noting the efforts of the Turkish and Greek governments in this direction. The head of the Phanar believes that both sides will benefit from such friendship.
European Parliament urged Turkey to recognize the legal status of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
The European Parliament has made a strong call on Turkey to respect the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the religious rights of minorities in its annual report on Turkey’s accession process to the EU, which was adopted on May 7, 2025, with 367 votes in favor, 74 against and 188 abstentions. This was reported by the Greek city times.
The report, prepared by Spanish MEP Nacho Sánchez Amor (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), notes that negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the EU have been “frozen since 2018” due to a serious deterioration in the rule of law. It concludes that under the current circumstances, accession negotiations cannot be resumed.
Regarding issues of particular importance to Greece, the Parliament welcomes the increased dialogue with Christian minorities, but regrets that “there has been no significant progress” in protecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. This includes the ongoing problems related to their legal recognition, especially with regard to the Greek Orthodox communities of Imbros and Tenedos.
In its strong statement, the European Parliament calls on Turkey to recognize the legal personality of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and to respect the public use of the title “Ecumenical Patriarch”. It also calls on the Turkish authorities to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission and to comply with all relevant rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
In addition, the report reiterated the parliament’s demand that Turkey “fully respect and protect the outstanding universal value” of Hagia Sophia and the Hora Museum, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites and have been controversially converted from museums to mosques in recent years.
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