Head of Phanar attends Erdogan's speech on religious minorities

Patriarch Bartholomew as the head of a religious minority at a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: orthodoxtimes.com

On March 2, 2021, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople arrived from Istanbul to Ankara as a representative of the religious minority in Turkey to attend the event led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to OrthodoxTimes portal.

In his report, Erdogan, who earlier called the change in the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque the "crown" of 2020, touched on the protection of the rights of religious minorities, which include the Orthodox of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey.

Recall that in July 2020, by decree of the President of Turkey, the famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, was converted into a mosque. The first Friday prayer in the Cathedral in 86 years took place on July 24.

As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Hilarion explained why the head of Phanar has no flock in Ukraine.

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