Türkiye demanded that patriarchy be excluded from the joint communiqué on Ukraine in Switzerland

Türkiye demanded and achieved the removal of the signature of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew from the joint declaration on Ukraine at the peace summitwhich took place a few days ago in Switzerland.

This is a serious blow to the political autonomy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Onsu Keceli, Turkey demanded an explanation for Bartholomew's signature on the document, stating in particular that:

“When Turkey's signature was added to the joint statement, the signature of the Greek Patriarchate was not there. This could not have happened because (the patriarchy) was an observer. The patriarchate's signature was added to the joint statement of the summit a few days after the end of the event. After the Foreign Ministry Turkey raised this issue, the Swiss and Ukrainian authorities were forced to publish a new list without the patriarch’s signature,” – said a representative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

I met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to express gratitude for the humanitarian support for Ukraine, especially on the issues of the return of Ukrainian children and the exchange of prisoners.

We highly value His All-Holiness' prayers for peace and assistance to… pic.twitter.com/riyEv7k7jW

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) June 15, 2024

“I met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to express gratitude for the humanitarian support of Ukraine, especially in matters of the return of Ukrainian children and the exchange of prisoners. We highly appreciate His Holiness’s prayers for peace and assistance to Ukrainians who suffered from Russian aggression. We also thank the Ecumenical Patriarch for his efforts to promote the development and strengthening of Orthodoxy in Ukraine and for his dialogue with the clergy of the whole world and partner countries in this direction.”

According to him, Turkey conveyed to the organizers – Ukraine and Switzerland – all its considerations regarding Bartholomew's participation in the summit, both before and during it. “When Ankara's concerns were not taken into account, the Republic of Turkey immediately took action.”he added.

Patriarch Bartholomew participated in a conference on Ukraine, which took place on June 15-16 in the resort town of Bergenstock in Switzerland. The Patriarchate stated that it supports the joint communiqué adopted following the conferences and was included in the list of signatories of the document. However, Türkiye reacted to this because it does not recognize the ecumenical status of the patriarchy.

In Turkey, Bartholomew is called the head of the Greek Orthodox community of the Phanar region, andthe patriarchy is prohibited from participating in political activities.

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