Ecumenical Patriarch targeted by Turkish Government

The pressure on the Ecumenical Patriarch continues to mount as Turkey expresses frustration over Patriarch Bartholomew’s inclusion in the joint declaration from the recent Ukraine summit held in Switzerland. As a result, Turkey successfully lobbied for the removal of his signature from the official document.

According to Öncü Keçeli, spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey sought clarification on Bartholomew’s signing of the declaration, stating: “When Turkey’s signature was added to the joint declaration, the signature of the Greek Patriarchate (as Turkey refers to the Ecumenical Patriarchate) was not present. This addition was impossible since the Patriarchate was only an observer. The signature of the Patriarchate was included in the Joint Declaration of the Summit several days after the event concluded. Following the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swiss and Ukrainian authorities were compelled to issue a revised list excluding the Patriarchate’s signature,” said the Turkish spokesman.

Keçeli further explained that Turkey had conveyed its concerns about Bartholomew’s participation to the summit organizers, both before and during the event. “When Ankara’s concerns were ignored, the Turkish Republic took immediate and necessary actions,” he added.