US official to visit Halki Seminary

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

US official Philip Gordon is expected to visit Halki Seminary on July 30.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon will come to Turkey to visit Heybeliada’s Halki Seminary.

Archpriest and Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros Lambriniadis confirmed that Gordon will visit Halki Seminary on July 30, speaking to Hürriyet Daily News. Metropolitan Lambriniadis said the proposal for the visit reached the Patriarchate via the U.S. Embassy. The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m., and it has not yet been determined whether it will be open to the press.

After paying a 4-day official visit to Greece, Gordon will come directly to Istanbul. On Monday, Gordon is expected to visit Halki Seminary after going to the Fener Greek Patriarchate. Gordon will also attend an iftar dinner in Üsküdar. On his visit to Turkey in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama underlined the importance of reopening Halki Seminary in a historic speech at Turkey’s Parliament. Despite Obama’s emphasis on the topic, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s more recent remark that “Halki Seminary should be opened, but also a mosque should be opened in Athens,” caused confusion and worry at the Fener Greek Patriarchate.