Holy Synod meeting of Fener Greek Patriarchate sparks debate in Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
A former Turkish mayor sought to block the meeting of the Holy Synod Assembly of the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul claiming that the meeting violated the Lausanne Treaty; while the Patriarchate defended it did not have a legal personality to be bound by the treaty.
The upcoming meeting of the Holy Synod in Istanbul's Fener Greek Patriarchate on Aug. 27 sparked widespread debate in the country, according to a report in Hurriyet daily on Tuesday.  Â
Tahsin Salihoglu, the former mayor of Istanbul’s Avcilar district and the president of the Solidarity Association of Western Thrace, petitioned the Istanbul Governor's office and demanded the Fener Greek Partriarchate block the meeting, claiming the Holy Synod violated the 1923 Lausanne Treaty as it contained non-Turkish members.
According to the Lausanne Treaty, the founding accord of modern Turkey, all the Holy Synod Assembly members have to be Turkish, Salihoglu said. If the foreign members of the assembly attend the meeting in Istanbul, the Lausanne Treaty would be violated, he added.
The Fener Greek Patriarchate, however, said in a statement that it had the right to invite any members to the Holy Synod meeting, as it did not have a legal status and personality to be recognized by Turkey.
The Holy Synod Assembly of the Fener Greek Patriarchate convened in 2004 for the first time since 1923, with foreign members. Fierce debates have been made every year ahead of the Holy Synod Assembly meetings in Istanbul since that time