Positive signals for Halki Seminary

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has voiced optimism that the historic Halki Seminary would reopen soon, indicating that efforts to this end are moving rapidly.

"We are now certain that we are on the verge of reopening our school, always with the grace of God," the spiritual leader of the world's Greek Orthodox Christians said at the inauguration of the nonprofit Byzantine Thessaloniki Center and an exhibition marking the seminary's 180 years of contribution to education and humanity.

"I am very optimistic that the sacred desire of all of us who are in any way connected to the school will be fulfilled, because the order to those in charge of the Ministry of Education came from above, from His Excellency, President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan," he noted. 

The remarks by the Istanbul-based patriarch came after Turkey's education minister, Yusuf Tekin, indicated that...