The organizers of a Ukraine summit held in Switzerland earlier this month removed the name of Patriarch Bartholomew from the list of signatories of a joint statement after Turkey protested the reference to him as “ecumenical,” according to reports in the Greek media.
Switzerland organized the Summit on Peace in Ukraine at Bürgenstock on June 15 and 16 following a request from Ukraine. The summit was attended by some 100 delegations including 57 heads of state and government from around the world.
The aim of the summit was to develop a common understanding of a path towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Patriarch Bartholomew attended the summit as an observer.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also among the participants of the summit.
However, the inclusion of Bartholomew’s name as one of the signatories of the final communiqué released at the end of the summit was protested by Turkey since it does not recognize Bartholomew’s “ecumenical” title, which means universal and relates to unity among the world’s Orthodox churches.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli said in a statement on X on June 19 reports that the Fener Greek Patriarchate attended the summit with state status and that Fidan had an official bilateral meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew on the sidelines of the summit do not reflect the truth.
Keçeli said Turkey requested an official explanation from Switzerland and Ukraine about the inclusion of the Greek patriarch’s name as a signatory in the joint statement while reiterating that there has been no change in Turkey’s policy regarding the position of the Fener Greek Patriarchate.
Turkey has been refusing to recognize the title “Ecumenical Patriarch” or Bartholomew’s role as an international religious leader. Officially, he is viewed as a local bishop who leads a shrinking community of a few thousand Greek Orthodox citizens in the country.
The 1923 Lausanne Treaty formally recognizes the rights of Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Christians, Jews and Greek Orthodox Christians. However, Christian denominations still find themselves grappling with limitations on their religious rights in Turkey.
Some opposition politicians and political scientists have said that Bartholomew’s using the “ecumenical” title contravenes the Turkish Constitution and the Lausanne Treaty.
Nationalist İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker Kürşad Zorlu warned that Turkey’s approval of Bartholomew’s using the “ecumenical” title in a diplomatic setting might inflict serious damage on Turkey’s historical gains and sovereignty rights.
Deputy Chairman of the Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP) Doğan Bekin released a statement on June 24 in which he accused Bartholomew of violating the Lausanne Treaty by using the “ecumenical” title in the joint declaration in Switzerland.
Bekin also criticized the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and Minister Fidan for allowing the inclusion of Bartholomew’s name among the list of signatories in the joint declaration in Switzerland. He said the Swiss ambassador to Turkey should be summoned to the ministry and reminded about the content of the Lausanne Treaty and why Bartholomew cannot be referred to as “ecumenical.
According to a capture of the relevant Swiss Foreign Ministry website on Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, “Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch” first appeared as a signatory of the declaration on June 17.
However, “Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch” no longer appears as a signatory on the current list on the website, which now states: “The Ecumenical Patriarchate attended the summit as an observer and supports the principles set forth in the joint communiqué.”
