Turkish president orders talks on reopening Halki seminary

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has directed officials to resume negotiations regarding the reopening of the Orthodox Christian Halki seminary. Located on Heybeliada island near Istanbul, the institution was founded in 1844 and served as the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s primary theological school until its closure in 1971. The seminary was shuttered following a Constitutional Court ruling that mandated private higher education institutions affiliate with state universities, a requirement the Patriarchate rejected. The issue has been a subject of long-standing pressure from Greece, the European Union, and the United States, and was specifically raised by U.S. President Donald Trump during meetings with Erdogan. Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon confirmed that the process has entered a new phase, with the Turkish higher education authority now engaging with a committee from the Patriarchate. While no formal timetable for the reopening has been established, both parties must still finalize renovation plans and agree on a legal and educational framework for the school's operations. The directive comes ahead of an expected visit by President Trump to Ankara for an upcoming NATO summit.