Turkey to Return Religious Properties

In a decision announced Saturday the Turkish government has committed to returning the numerous churches, synagogues, cemeteries, and formerly church-run hospital, orphanage, and school buildings confiscated from Turkey's native religious and ethnic minorities since the foundation of the modern Turkish state following World War I. Properties already sold to private owners by the Turkish government are to be substituted for financial compensation from the state. The move comes as part of Turkey's ongoing efforts to qualify for membership in the European Union, which has long been concerned by the country's treatment of its non-Turkish citizens. More here.

Ecumenical Patriarch Visits Misappropriated Pontian Monasteries and Churches

As part of his pastoral visit to Pontus, in what today is northeastern Turkey, to celebrate new style Dormition at the historic Soumela Monastery Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople also visited several other historic Pontian monasteries and churches that were turned into mosques or museums following Turkey's expulsion of its large Greek-speaking minority after World War I. More (in Greek) here.

Greek Foreign Minister Visits Turkey

Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis has begun a state visit to the Turkish island of Imbros, where he met with representatives of the island's Greek community, among them Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople, and expressed his support for Turkey's application for membership in the European Union. Lambrinidis' visit was occasioned by the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Patriarch Bartholomew to the priesthood. More here.

At the time that Imbros was awarded to the modern Turkish state by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 its population was 95% Greek and Orthodox Christian. Although Turkey committed to guaranteeing the security of the island's population, over the decades following the treaty it settled large numbers of Turks on the island, prompting many of its native inhabitants to immigrate. The island's population today is 97% Turkish.

Jerusalem Patriarch Interviewed on Issues in the Holy Land

In an interview Patriarch Theophilos III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem has said that his largely Arabic-speaking Palestinian Orthodox flock should "refer back to [its] roots" in side-stepping a question about ethnic Greeks' dominance of the Orthodox hierarchy in the Holy Land (which consists of seventeen ethnic Greeks and one ethnic Arab despite the largely Arab and Russian composition of the laity), also saying that one "cannot disregard the Byzantine presence that was here [in the Holy Land]."

In the same interview the patriarch strongly reaffirmed the Church of Jerusalem's involvement in the World Council of Churches and answered questions about the political and religious tensions in the Holy Land. The full interview can be found here.

Malbis Plantation and Memorial Church Added to US National Register of Historic Places

The structures of the Malbis Plantation in Malbis, Alabama, have been added to the US National Register of Historic Places. The Plantation was founded by a Greek immigrant, Jason Malbis (born Antonios Markopoulos), seeking to establish a Greek colony in the United States and includes the Church of the Entrance of the Theotokos, which was built in memory of Malbis after his death. More here.

Jordanian Orthodox Protest Greek-Dominated, Pro-Israeli Hierarchy

In a protest Sunday evening faithful of Jordan's Metropolis of Philadelphia based in Amman called for the Arabization of the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and the resignation of Patriarch Theofilos III (Giannopoulos) in favor of a Palestinian or Jordanian Arab native to the Holy Land. The protests were organized after Patriarch Theofilos renewed land use agreements with the Israeli government that he had indicated he would cancel when he replaced deposed Patriarch Irenaios (Skopelitis) in 2005. More here.

US Senate Calls for Halki Seminary's Reopening

The United States Senate has passed a resolution calling on the Turkish government to address the challenges faced by Turkey's dwindling Greek-speaking minority, among them the need to reopen the Halki Seminary. More here.

Patriarch Bartholomew Says Greek Policies Should Not Effect Halki Reopening

Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople has reacted to Turkish demands that Greece improve its treatment of its Turkish minority in southwestern Thrace before it will consider reopening the Halki Seminary by saying that both he is Turkish and that the Greek government and its policies should not factor into the reopening of the patriarchal seminary. More here.

Free Greek School to Open in North London

Plans have been announced for the organization of a free Greek Orthodox school for north London's Greek community. More here.

Romanian Orthodox Church Defends Jericho Parish

The Romanian Orthodox Church has released an article outlining the "necessity" of its establishment of a Romanian Orthodox parish and institutions in the Holy Land. Among other things the article attacks the exclusive control of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem by Greeks (an already widely recognized problem) and claims a verbal assurance from Patriarch Diodoros (Karivalis) of Jerusalem for the Jericho parish. (Why in the past 10 years the Romanian Orthodox Church has pursued the change of this verbal assurance into an actual approval of the parish by the Church of Jerusalem is not stated.) More (in Romanian) here.

"Istanbul Rums Pondering"

A recently published article from the Hurriyet Daily News on Constantinople's dwindling Greek minority and the upcoming Turkish elections can be found here.

Red Crescent Gives Aid to Greek Orthodox in Constantinople

The Turkish branch of the International Red Crescent has generously provided the Ecumenical Patriarchate with food and other aid for the small Greek community in Constantinople. More here.

Upcoming Armenian Genocide/Seyfo Commemoration in NYC

This coming 6 April the World War II-era Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Genocides by the Ottoman Turks and Kurds will be commemorated in New York (not to mention worldwide). More here.

Assyrians and Armenians Protest Removal of Genocide Reference on Swedish Government Website

Assyrians and Armenians in Sweden are expressing their outrage over the removal from an official Swedish website of a reference in a recent speech of Minister for Integration Erik Ullenhag to the Seyfo, the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide by the Turks and Kurds that resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Assyrians and Syrians, and 500,000 Greeks. The reference is said to have been removed due to pressure from the Turkish government. More here.

Greeks Self-Identify in Albania

There is a growing movement in southern Albania for its Greek minority to declare themselves as ethnic Greeks after years of suppression by the Albanian government. In the last month alone nearly 4,000 residents of the area have changed their registered ethnicity from Albanian to Greek. More here.

Cypriot Orthodox Archbishop Calls for Turkish Withdrawal

In an interview with the Turkish-language newspaper Milliyet, Archbishop Chrysostomos II (Demetriou) of the Cypriot Orthodox Church has stated that he believes the division of Cyprus could be ended immediately were the Turkish government to withdraw its soldiers from the island and give Cyprus' Greeks and Turks the freedom necessary to restore the unity of Cyprus. More here.

Greeks Evacuated from Egypt

The Foreign Ministry of Greece has arranged the evacuation of Greek citizens in Egypt who desire to leave the country as it begins its second week of violent pro and anti-government protests. More here.

Greek-Americans Considered "Churchy" in Greece

Apparently Greek-Americans are far more involved in church life than Greeks in Greece are, which I'm sure will surprise a great number of people on this side of the Atlantic. More here.

Greek Community in Turkey Hopes for EU Membership

The small Greek-speaking community remaining in Turkey says that its only hope of survival is the entrance of Turkey into the European Union. More here.

Tensions Simmer on Cyprus

Tensions between the Cypriot Orthodox Church and Islam are continuing to rise on Cyprus as Turkish Muslims in southern Cyprus are claiming mistreatment at the hands of the Cypriot government. This comes after the Turkish administration of northern Cyprus refused to allow the celebration of new style Nativity in Cypriot Orthodox churches under its jurisdiction.

Turkish Muslims in southern Cyprus have freedom of religion and retain control of their mosques and holy sites, but are treated as second class citizens due to the memory of the Ottoman Turkish occupation and the more recent events that divided the island into Greek and Turkish halves. More here.