Court of Strasbourg recognises legal status of ecumenical patriarchate and condemns Turkey

ICC Note: This is incredibly encouraging news for Christians in Turkey – let us pray that Turkey will enforce the court’s decision.

by NAT da Polis
7/10/08 Istanbul (AsiaNews) – With a unanimous verdict (7 votes out of 7, including that of the representative from Turkey), the supreme court of Strasbourg for human rights has condemned Ankara for improperly occupying an orphanage on the Princes’ Islands of Buyukada, in the Marmara Sea. The verdict grants the appeal by the ecumenical patriarchate, recognising its ownership of the orphanage.

With this appeal by the patriarchate to the Court of Strasbourg, which was also the first of its kind, there was an intention of denouncing the appropriation of the building by Turkish authorities (see AsiaNews article of 29/11/2007: The Supreme Court in Strasburg allows Patriarchs’ appeal for Buyukada orphanage).

In addition to the specific case, the verdict is of the highest importance because it gives international recognition to the legal status of the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople, always denied until now by the Turkish government. Religious minorities in Turkey are not recognised as legal personalities, and therefore cannot own property… [Go To Full Story]