Ongoing talks between the Turkish government and representatives from the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary in Istanbul are suggesting that the theological school could reopen soon, with some indicating as early as 2026, according to a BBC Turkish edition report.
Both Turkish government officials and representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, the symbolic headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church, have signaled the willingness to resolve the issue of the reopening of the school, after remaining closed for over 50 years, according to the BBC report.
Laki Vingas, a community representative and part of the delegation engaged in talks with government authorities, speaking to BBC Turkish about the closure of the Greek Orthodox seminary (Theological School of Halki, as it’s referred to in Greece), expressed hope for its reopening as early as 2026. He said discussions are proceeding in a positive atmosphere and that compared to the unsuccessful attempts to reopen the school in 2010 and 2011, the process this time is proceeding in a “more determined” way.
“Honestly, we are both happy and hopeful,” Vingas added.
The Halki Seminary, located on the island of Halki (Heybeliada) was closed in 1971 by the Turkish government, after the Turkish Parliament enacted legislation banning private institutions of higher education. As a result, the Greek Orthodox Church cannot train its clergy domestically. The closure of the seminary has been criticized many time internationally while the Turkish government has repeatedly assured that it will reopen.
The status of the Halki School in a future reopening
The issue of the school’s status if reopened has also been debated for years.
Kezban Hatemi, a lawyer and advisor to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, told BBC Turkish in a written statement that there are no legal obstacles related to reopening the school. He also said that the Greek Patriarchate’s main request on the issue is for the Halki School to reopen under the previous status it previously held.
“This refers to the status of a private school under the Education Ministry. The management of the school would remain with the Greek Patriarchate, while the Education Ministry would oversee it,” Hatemi added.
Vingas, commenting on the future status of the seminary said “It will probably be an institution with a status beyond that of a middle school or high school”
The closure of Halki School, a decades-long dispute
The reopening of the Halki School was of particular focus since the 1990s during Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. The issue resurfaced last year after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview published in Greek media in May that “efforts are underway” for the seminary’s revival.
Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said in an interview after visiting the Halki School in May 28, 2024 that he “personally wants the school to be reopened.”
“If a decision is made to reopen the school, we have prepared a draft regarding its status. From here on, it now a political process,” Tekin said in December 2024.
In September 2024, during a visit to Thessaloniki, Greece, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his optimism for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, saying that the effort to reopen the School “is progressing at a rapid pace.”
He noted that the Minister of Education of Turkey visited the School recently and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will visit Ankara soon to continue the dialogue with the Turkish authorities mainly on the technical details.
“I am very optimistic that the re-opening of our school will be achieved soon and the sacred wish of all of us will be fulfilled, because the order to the officials of the Ministry of Education came from above, from His Excellency President Mr. Erdogan,” Bartholomew said.
“We are now certain that we are on the verge of reopening our school always with the grace of the holy God,” he added.
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