Hansard

Turkey: Greek Orthodox Seminary

Volume 698: debated on Tuesday 22 January 2008

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Lord Patten

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are making any representations to the Government of Turkey over calls to reopen the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary on the island of Heybeli near Istanbul. [HL1253]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(Lord Malloch-Brown)

The issue of the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary is routinely raised by the European Union as part of the political dialogue with Turkey, and highlighted in the European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkey’s accession (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/turkey_progress_reports_en.pdf). Furthermore, we raise this issue during bilateral discussions on freedom of religion.