Patriarch Bartholomew: Turkey Not 'Hostile' to Christians — Pope's Visit Reinforces Interfaith Dialogue

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, said Turkey — a predominantly Muslim country hosting Pope Leo XIV on his first overseas trip as pontiff — should not be portrayed as "a hostile environment" for Christians. His remarks come as he prepares to join the pope for commemorations in Iznik marking 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea.

"It is simplistic to see adversaries everywhere and to imagine the pope's visit as taking sides in a hostile environment," the patriarch said, stressing his role as the spiritual leader of roughly 260 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Commemoration and Context

The ceremony in Iznik, about two hours from Istanbul, commemorates a pivotal early Church council that produced a statement of faith still central to Christianity. After arriving in Ankara and meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Leo described Turkey as a "crossroads of sensibilities" enriched by its "internal diversity."

Turkey has a population of about 86 million, but Christians number roughly 100,000. These figures reflect historical upheavals during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the early 20th century — including the mass killings and deportations of Armenians (a term disputed by Ankara), population exchanges, and pogroms that led many Greek Orthodox to leave.

Interfaith Life and Dialogue

Bartholomew argued there are benefits to being based in a Muslim-majority country. "Living in a predominantly Muslim country is a blessing in disguise because it sustains and strengthens the essential feature of the Ecumenical Patriarchate — open and honest dialogue with all people in all places, irrespective of race and religion," he said.

"This year, when the world is troubled and divided by conflict and antagonism, our meeting with Pope Leo XIV is especially significant. It reminds our faithful that we are more powerful and more credible when we are united in our witness and response to the challenges of the contemporary world."

Relations within Orthodoxy and Ukraine

The Eastern Orthodox communion suffered a major rupture in 2018 when the Moscow Patriarchate severed ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate after Constantinople recognised the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Bartholomew emphasized that "the door of dialogue is always open."

He has been outspoken about the war in Ukraine and the role of church leaders. Having said in March 2022 that he had become "a target of Moscow," the patriarch urged Russian spiritual leaders not to align uncritically with political agendas. "The spiritual leaders in Russia cannot follow blindly the inhumane interests and barbarous policies of their political leaders. Nor can they indiscriminately condone and even bless the bloodshed in Ukraine," he said.

Bartholomew's comments and the pope's visit highlight both the fragility and the potential of interfaith and intra-Christian dialogue at a time of global tensions.