YES, ISTANBUL IS A CONTINUATION OF JERUSALEM

Hurriyet
Dec 21 2009
Turkey

I watched the interview with Fener (Phanar) Greek Orthodox Church
Patriarch Bartholomew on CBS television’s "60 Minutes."

If we were in a different political atmosphere, we would have watched
it as a documentary on tourism to attract attention to Turkey;
a documentary that would direct Americans’ attention to this land,
with its unparalleled heritage of the world’s history of religions.

Journalist Bob Simon not only mentioned the 1,700-year-old history
of the Greek Orthodox Church, which played a key role in turning
polytheist communities into monotheistic ones, but also aroused
interest in the Cappadocia region.

But we have a heavy burden on our shoulders. As we evaluate the
remarks of the patriarch under the influence of such a burden with
the accumulation of the past, we easily get more agitated.

"You are Greek; if you are being treated like a second-class citizen
and think that you are not benefiting from the citizenship rights,
why are you not going back to Greece?" asked the journalist.

Patriarch Bartholomew had told Simon that the Orthodox Christians in
Turkey are treated as second-class citizens.

"Because we love our country. We were born here. We want to die here.

We feel that our mission is here, as it has been for 17 entire
centuries," explained the patriarch. "This is the continuation of
Jerusalem. And for us, it is equally a holy and sacred land. We prefer
to stay here, even [if] crucified sometimes. Because in the gospel,
it is written that it is given to us not only to believe in Christ,
but also to suffer for Christ."

When Simon asked, "You said even to be crucified sometimes?" the
patriarch replied, "Yes…"

* * *

The essence of this conversation is not crucifixion, but the
difficulties the Patriarchate experiences due to some problems and
the fact that they have not settled somehow.

At the top of the list is the issue of religious clerics. The
Heybeliada (Halki) Seminary has been closed for 40 years though it
was in service until 1970. According to the Lausanne Treaty, in order
to take office in the Patriarchate, one must be a citizen of Turkey.

The issue of the scarce number of religious clerics is extremely
serious. I know it from Bozcaada (Tenedos). Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan kept his promise to Greeks living on the island and the
collapsed bell dome was restored. But the community’s problems remain
unsolved, as there has been no priest to fill in since the last one
passed away a while ago. For the observation of religious festivities,
the Gökceada (Imbros) metropolitan bishop comes to Bozcaada. At
other times, the island’s Greek community is all on its own.

A big problem is what will happen after Bartholomew; who will be the
new patriarch?

* * *

The patriarch is claiming his rights as a Turkish citizen, just as
Alevis, Armenians and Syriacs are. But we also can include Sunni
Muslims in the list, can we not?

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu issued a counter-statement
expressing how seriously he was disturbed by Bartholomew’s remarks.

"There has never been crucifixion in our history or tradition,"
Davutoglu said.

Let’s put aside the two patriarchs who were hanged at the gate of
the Patriarchate building in 1657 and 1821. But I have a question to
ask without wandering off the subject: Why did the Foreign Ministry
answer the question?

Besides, Patriarch Bartholomew is not the first to say that religious
freedoms are not exercised rightfully in this country. Did Davutoglu’s
predecessor Ali Babacan not say the same during the Turkey-European
Union Partnership Council meeting?

If we have enough courage to confront our problems, we will learn
how to really love our country as the cradle of civilizations. We
will realize that Istanbul is as ancient as Jerusalem for humanity
and try to spare it.

* Ms. Ferai Tınc is a columnist for daily Hurriyet, in which this
piece appeared Monday. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff.