Once at the heart of a debate on the rights of minorities, Halki seminary in Istanbul's Heybeliada may soon welcome new students.
Hopes are growing that the long-closed seminary on the island off Türkiye's most populated city could reopen soon, with formulas for its new status under discussion, Bishop Aravissu Kassianos Nikolar told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The seminary opened in the mid-19th century and was the main theological school for the Eastern Orthodox Church until it was closed under a Turkish law in 1971. The school has remained closed for decades despite efforts by the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, whose patriarch counts millions across the world as followers.
The seminary made headlines in September when US President Donald Trump raised the issue with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, raising hopes the deadlock could soon be broken. "At this stage, we are making quite good progress overall. Things are positive at the moment, 100% positive," the bishop told AFP in a rare interview just days before Trump was to fly in on his first official visit to attend the July 7-8 NATO summit.
The seminary has symbolic significance for the world's Orthodox community.
