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Religious restrictions: Nearly renovated Theological School of Halki faces fight to reopen

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has announced that the school's renovation works will be completed in September but it is still awaiting permission from Turkey to reopen the facility after its forced closure in 1971.

READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/05/12/religious-restrictions-nearly-renovated-theological-school-of-halki-faces-fight-to-reopen

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Transcript
00:01The innovation of the Halki theological school, which has remained closed for decades, is expected to be completed in September
00:07according to an announcement by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
00:11However, no official authorization has yet been granted for the school to reopen.
00:15Located on Halki, one of the princesses islands of the coast of Istanbul, the school was founded in the mid
00:20-19th century.
00:22For many years it served as the most important theological institution of the Orthodox Church until its closure in 1971,
00:29following Turkish legislation banning private high religious education institutions.
00:34Despite repeated appeals to Ankara for the schools reopening, the issue remains unresolved.
00:39The matter was also discussed during Patriarch Bartholomew's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House last September.
00:44According to reports, Donald Trump pledged to support efforts to break the deadlock, raising renewed hopes for the reopening of
00:50the historic institution.
00:53The case continues to attract close attention from both the United States and the European Union, which has repeatedly criticized
00:59Turkey over concerns regarding religious freedoms for non-Muslim minorities.
01:05Since its founding in 1844, the school has educated many prominent search figures, including Patriarch Bartholomew himself.
01:14Antiri Communities
01:15Antiri Communities
01:16Antiri were born warnets
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