Turkish Orthodox Community breaks ties with Patriarchate

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Orthodox Community has announced that it has severed ties with the Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, the highest authority for Turkish-origin Orthodox Christians in the country, citing unresolved disagreements with the current church administration.

In a written statement, the group said the split stemmed from “fundamental differences in principles,” without providing further details.

It emphasized that the community would continue its activities independently.

The statement noted that over the past two years, the group has worked to promote Turkish Orthodoxy and the legacy of Papa Eftim, the founder of the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate.

The community said its mission has been to keep national consciousness alert against what it described as external threats targeting the country under the guise of Christianity, adding that Turkish Orthodoxy has been brought to wider public attention in a country where Christianity is not taboo.

Stressing that a clear rupture has now emerged between the community and the patriarchate, the statement reaffirmed its “unwavering loyalty” to the legacies of both Papa Eftim and Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

It also called on the public to support its independent publishing and outreach activities aimed at preserving Turkish Orthodoxy.

A spokesperson for the patriarchate, however, said the group currently has no formal affiliation with the church.

The Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate earlier issued a statement criticizing a visit to İznik by Pope Leo XIV and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, who controversially describes himself as “ecumenical.”

The patriarchate warned that the Vatican appearing alongside the Fener Patriarchate could lend further weight to claims of ecumenical status, which are rejected by Ankara and other Orthodox authorities in Türkiye.

Bartholomew presents himself as the spiritual leader of all Orthodox Christians worldwide, a status that Turkish Orthodox institutions and the Turkish state do not recognize.