Protecţia patrimoniului ortodox în Turcia
The protection of the orthodox patrimony in Turkey

Summary/Abstract: From the international press we learn about current crisis issues, but besides major international and national events, the influence of religion must not be overlooked. In order to preserve religious cohesion, it is essential to protect the Orthodox heritage. As European citizens, it seems natural for us to have rights and to respect our ethnical, linguistic, religious values etc. We offer rights to national minorities and we support pluralism, including religious pluralism. But how do Orthodox people from Muslim countries, such as Turkey, feel in this perspective? The present article studies the Orthodox churches in Turkey and the attempts of the Greeks from their country of origin (or other Orthodox people) to support the Greeks in Istanbul in order to ensure the protection and survival of Orthodoxy in the Old Byzantium’s cradle. It is also important to take into consideration the existence of the Syrian Orthodox Church. The study is based on the status of the Saint Sophia “museum”. In many aspects of everyday life, religion plays an important role and can influence the system both directly and indirectly through the population mentality. Although Atatürk attempted secularization at the level of the Turkish state, unfortunately, the diminishing of the minorities’ religious rights due to Muslim influence is now increasingly felt. I had chosen this theme because it seemed an interesting topic and there is not enough research about it in our country, but it is also a worrying topic in the light of the latest events. Also, the events in the European Union’s neighborhood have left their mark, influencing its functioning (for example, Turkey was considered a buffer country in the refugee crisis). Studying the way in which Orthodox heritage in that country is protected, the paper looks into the historical context, the religious minorities rights, the evolution of the status of the churches in Turkey. Also, it is important to take into consideration the existence of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

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