A 'Welcome' gift for Trump!..

In his speech at the “From the Conquest of Istanbul to the Conquest of Hearts” program on May 29, Erdoğan stated that Istanbul has been “Turkish Istanbul” since 1453, but that there are still those who are indigestible and cannot accept this conquest.

He continued as follows:

“What are they saying? 'Whoever says 'Persecution began in 1453', take off their mask; beneath it will emerge the dark faces we fought against in 1453. Whoever says 'Let the status of Istanbul change', these are the ones who cannot stomach the Quran recited at Topkapı or the call to prayer recited at Hagia Sophia. Whoever ignores the high civilization we built in Istanbul and says, 'Nomadic barbarians destroyed the civilization in Anatolia', lift their cape, and you will encounter a Byzantine tattoo carved into their chest... We all know very well who these people are. With God's permission, we did not give an opportunity to the representatives of this mentality yesterday, and we will not give them an opportunity today or tomorrow.”

Two days later, at the Cabinet meeting, Erdoğan again spoke of the conquest of Istanbul and the “Persecution began in 1453” slogan, stating, “We will not leave this sacred city to the mercy of the incompetent who do not know history and do not know how to appreciate value,” linking the issue to the CHP-run municipality.

A few days ago, at the “Conquest Spirit Competitions Award Ceremony,” Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin also explained that there has been a social division in Turkey for many years, that one of the clearest examples of this emerges in the view of 1453, and emphasized that while one segment sees 1453 as the beginning of persecution, they evaluate it as a conquest.

The sole reason for the “Persecution began in 1453” discourse is an obscure piece of writing from the Gezi protests. They have been targeting those who have not supported the AKP for 13 years over this, while abroad, they only criticize Israel among those who still consider Istanbul to be “Constantinople.”

Yet, there are so many of them!..

''CONSTANTINOPLE'' ACTIVITIES AT FULL SPEED

Setting aside the fact that Bartholomew, a Turkish citizen at the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople—which is a Turkish institution according to the Treaty of Lausanne—now openly uses the title “Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch,” here are the last three examples:

On the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias posted, “On the 573rd anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople, the cultural heritage of the Byzantine era remains vibrant through the Greek language, literature, and the Orthodox faith... The phrase 'The City did not fall' remains a symbol of indelible historical memory and national continuity.”

Recently, Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, who went first to Cappadocia and then to Istanbul within the scope of the 1st Turkey-Greece Cultural Forum, gave information about her work to “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.” In the statement regarding this visit, the Greek Ministry of Culture referred to Istanbul as “Constantinople”...

The day before yesterday, within the scope of a program called “Strengthening education in Constantinople,” the 2026 “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Award” was presented personally by Bartholomew to Athanasios Martinos, a shipowner and founder of a Greek foundation, who is also a Patriarchal Archon. The reason for the award was “his support for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox community of Constantinople, and his contribution to the preservation and revitalization of the historical educational, religious, and social institutions of the Greek diaspora in the city.”

Let us briefly provide information about what this “Strengthening education in Constantinople” program is. It was established in 2023 in partnership with the “Ecumenical Constantinople Federation” and a company stated to be a leader in vocational and language skills. It provides financial support for postgraduate and doctoral studies to young individuals up to the second generation of immigrants in Istanbul, as well as in Bozcaada and Gökçeada.

Let us also look at who the shipowner, foundation founder, and archon Athanasios Martinos is. On May 29, 2024 (note the date), at the 1st Global Summit of Archons held in Athens, while donating 300 thousand dollars to the “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation,” he emphasized that “Constantinople is at the crossroads of cultures and religions,” and therefore “the Ecumenical Patriarchate is in a unique position to provide a beneficial influence worldwide.” He noted that “Bartholomew's granting of independence to the Ukrainian Church, which suffered under the pressure of the Soviet Union, has increased the worldwide influence and prestige of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

Another important feature of Martinos, who is known for “making generous donations to protect and restore the Orthodox Christian presence in Constantinople,” is that he has undertaken the costs of renovating the Halki Seminary, which is currently rumored to be opening.

''OFFICIAL VISIT'' TO GREECE

Now let us come to the opening of the Halki Seminary. It is a subject that has been on the agenda for decades due to pressure from the US, the EU, and Greece, but it started to be discussed again with the statement made by Patriarch Bartholomew during his visit to Greece at the beginning of May. What did Bartholomew say? That the school would become operational in September with a “magnificent opening”...

However, long before that, it was first announced by Trump's colonial governor Tom Barrack, then the subject came up in meetings that both Bartholomew and Erdoğan held with Trump at the White House, and while Bartholomew was giving the good news to the Greek media in January that the Halki Seminary would open, he invited Erdoğan to perform the opening together.

Returning to Bartholomew's last Athens visit; he informed Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis about the opening of the Halki Seminary, as it concerns them. Mitsotakis also stated that the Greek state always stands by the Patriarchate.

Let us also specifically underline this; our “domestic and national media” saw no harm in presenting Bartholomew's trip to Athens as an “official visit.” Is he a head of state that he is organizing an “official visit”?!

''WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY''

While the opening of the Halki Seminary is reviving, another remarkable development occurred last week: Erdoğan hosted Bartholomew at the Palace.

In the presidential statement, it was stated that Erdoğan “received” Bartholomew, but no information was given regarding the content of the meeting.

So, how was this meeting announced on the Patriarchate's website?

The headline “Ecumenical Patriarch with the President of the Republic of Turkey” was used... Instead of “received,” it was said that he “met”... And it was stated that the meeting “focused on the reopening of the Halki Seminary.”

Doesn't this phrasing mean that they do not consider themselves a Turkish institution affiliated with the Fatih District Governorate and that they see themselves as Erdoğan's equal?!

What was the comment of the US media outlet Bloomberg on the Erdoğan-Bartholomew meeting? It noted that the initiative to reopen the Halki Seminary was both “part of broader efforts to improve relations between Ankara and Washington” and “a response to calls from the US and the EU for more religious freedom in Turkey.”

Let us formulate it this way: It looks like a “Welcome” gift for Trump, who is expected for the NATO summit in July. Would you like them to finish the preparations and perform the opening together...

LOOKING AT THE EU'S DEMANDS IS ENOUGH

We have written a lot about what the opening of the Halki Seminary under the conditions imposed by the Patriarchate means. Therefore, instead of repeating these, let us suffice with conveying the demands in the European Parliament's latest Turkey report.

In the report, while it was stated that “the reopening of the Halki Seminary, which has been closed since 1971, is welcomed as an important positive step in the recognition of religious and minority rights,” the following demands were made:

“Addressing the ongoing difficulties in the legal personality of ethnic and religious minorities, limited access to clergy training, and enjoyment of property rights... Implementation of the Venice Commission recommendations, Council of Europe and ECHR decisions regarding the Greek Orthodox population in Gökçeada and Bozcaada... Respect for the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians around the world, recognition of the legal personality of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the public use of the Ecumenical Patriarch's religious title in accordance with the Venice Commission recommendation.”

It is like a joke, but while the whole world, especially the US and the EU, is involved in the Patriarchate business up to its neck, in the report, Turkey's protection of our kinsmen in Western Thrace was interpreted as “interference in the internal affairs of EU member states,” how about that?!

IF YOU ARE REFERENCING HALİL İNALCIK

At the Istanbul conquest event, Erdoğan referenced Prof. Halil İnalcık, known as the “pole of historians,” who was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery by a Council of Ministers decision when he passed away in 2016.

Then let us remind our officials who are trying to fulfill these imperialist demands of the warnings Prof. İnalcık made in 2008 regarding the Patriarchate:

- “Patriarch Bartholomew's claim that 'the Patriarchate has continued uninterrupted since the Byzantine era and still maintains its claim of universality over Orthodox rights coming from the Byzantine era' is completely contrary to historical data.”

- “As a result of the Turkish governments turning a blind eye, they have carried out faits accomplis on the way to changing the status in Lausanne... No stance was taken against the Patriarch's attempts to congratulate and visit politicians... The Patriarch's visit by foreign leaders visiting Turkey has turned into an indispensable protocol.”

– “For Turkey, the status of the Patriarchate was determined in Lausanne... Turkish governments should be against every move aimed at breaching Lausanne. If we accept the Patriarch's Greek-backed claims, Lausanne will have been breached. The Greeks, using the power of the EU, want to create an institution in Istanbul that represents the Orthodox world. The Patriarchate and the Greek government are cooperating for the realization of the 'Megali Idea'. The aspiration that has been in the hearts of all Greeks since the 18th century is to re-establish Greek dominance in Istanbul, and to revive Byzantium in Cyprus, Pontus, and Western Anatolia... If ecumenicity is accepted, he would be the person who best represents not Turkey's but Greece's future plans. Why does Turkey's envoy not support Turkey against Greece in the Cyprus and Aegean issues? Greek authorities use the definition of 'Turkey's ambassador' for the Patriarchate?”