Turkey is reportedly planning to reopen the Halki Theological School, a Greek Orthodox seminary that has been closed for...

Turkey is reportedly planning to reopen the Halki Theological School, a Greek Orthodox seminary that has been closed for 55 years, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The seminary, situated on an island off Istanbul, was founded in 1844 and shuttered by the Turkish government in 1971. Its reopening would restore a critical institution for training senior Orthodox Christian clergy and is considered essential for the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The move is reportedly timed to coincide with US President Donald Trump's expected visit to Ankara for a NATO summit next month. Bloomberg's sources suggest Turkey is partly motivated by a desire to please Trump ahead of that visit. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, where the potential reopening was discussed. A statement from the Ecumenical Patriarchate described the talks as held in a cordial atmosphere. There is a significant catch. Under the reported plan, students would be admitted through Turkey's national university placement system and the Education Ministry would supervise the curriculum. Greece, the EU, and the US have all backed Bartholomew's long campaign to reopen the school. Whether Turkey ultimately follows through, and on what terms, remains to be seen. #Halki #EcumenicalPatriarchate #GreeceTurkey