Istanbul, Turkiye – Pope Leo XIV has chosen Turkiye for his first foreign trip as the pinnacle of the Roman Catholic Church, a deeply symbolic transfer that minority group representatives say is going down at a time of renewed openness within the Muslim-majority nation.
Throughout his go to this week, the pontiff held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met religious leaders and visited locations of worship within the nation the place Christianity’s deep roots sit alongside a protracted and influential Islamic custom.
Right this moment, Turkiye’s inhabitants of greater than 80 million individuals is no less than 99 % Muslim, but the nation stays residence to centuries-old Greek, Armenian, Syriac and Latin Christian communities which have lengthy been a part of its social cloth.
After a long time formed by political tensions, demographic change and property disputes, representatives of minority foundations say immediately’s local weather gives better visibility and confidence than they’ve skilled in a long time. In addition they see the timing of Pope Leo’s go to as reflective of a interval through which historic foundations really feel extra in a position to restore properties, organise spiritual life and interact immediately with state our bodies.
“That is, initially, an amazing honour for Turkiye,” Manolis Kostidis, vice chairman of the Greek Foundations Affiliation, advised Al Jazeera of the pope’s go to.
“It’s additionally extraordinarily necessary for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for the Greek group. Istanbul has hosted empires for hundreds of years, and welcoming such a visitor exhibits the worth of the patriarchate – particularly with the help the Turkish authorities has given lately,” he mentioned.
Within the early a long time of the Turkish Republic, Turkiye’s Greek, Armenian and Syriac populations numbered within the a whole lot of hundreds. Their decline over the twentieth century was formed by a sequence of political ruptures – from the 1942 Wealth Tax, which disproportionately focused non-Muslims, to the 1955 Istanbul pogrom that devastated Greek, Armenian and Jewish neighbourhoods, and the 1964 deportation of greater than 12,000 Greek residents amid tensions over Cyprus.
Different administrative restrictions and authorized rulings adopted in subsequent a long time, regularly accelerating emigration. Right this moment, the remaining communities are far smaller, but their representatives stress resilience, continuity and a deep sense of belonging to the nation they’ve lived in for hundreds of years.
“If Turkiye’s inhabitants is 85 million, we’re about 85,000 – one in a thousand,” Can Ustabası, head of the Minority Foundations Consultant Workplace, advised Al Jazeera.
“Communities that had been as soon as within the thousands and thousands at the moment are tiny. We’re residents of this nation, however historical past introduced us thus far.”
Whereas the pressures affecting minority teams via the twentieth century are broadly documented, group representatives agree that the ambiance of the previous 20 years stands in sharp distinction.
From the 2000s onward, minority foundations benefitted from plenty of authorized adjustments.
The Foundations Regulation, first drafted within the Ottoman period and later tailored by the Republic, governs how non-Muslim charitable foundations personal, handle and inherit property. A sequence of European Union-driven harmonisation packages between 2003 and 2008 expanded their means to register belongings, reclaim properties seized underneath earlier rulings, and obtain donations and inheritances once more.
This culminated in a 2011 authorities decree instructing the return – or compensation – of properties that had been taken from foundations underneath the 1974 Courtroom of Cassation ruling and earlier administrative practices.
“Erdogan’s instruction to ‘return what rightfully belongs to them’ modified the perspective of each state physique. Beforehand, getting permission to color a church took years. Now, doorways open simply,” Ustabasi mentioned.
‘Certainly one of most comfy intervals’
Lawyer Kezban Hatemi, who has suggested minority foundations for many years, agreed that this has been “a serious reform” however famous that extra wanted to be performed. “Some circumstances are nonetheless ongoing – this sort of historic course of by no means ends shortly,” Hatemi advised Al Jazeera.
In line with Hatemi, the sooner reluctance of state establishments was rooted in a decades-old mentality formed by safety fears and restrictive authorized interpretations. She mentioned minority foundations confronted layers of bureaucratic obstacles for years, with even fundamental repairs or property registrations blocked. This solely started to shift when EU harmonisation reforms created a brand new authorized framework and political resolve emerged to behave on it.
“The EU course of gave actual momentum – however it additionally took political will,” she mentioned, noting that “a serious blockage was eliminated” whilst outdated fears loom for some.
“Folks overseas nonetheless say: ‘Don’t purchase property in Istanbul, you by no means know what might occur.’ The reminiscence from the 40s to the 70s continues to be very robust.”
Ustabasi famous that whereas the method has not at all times been simple, some 1,250 properties “had been returned via EU harmonisation reforms and adjustments to the Foundations Regulation” between 2003 and 2018.
Kostidis mentioned the influence of the return of the properties has not solely been materials. “It makes us really feel like full residents,” he mentioned, noting that “minorities have lived one in all their most comfy intervals” since Erdogan got here to energy in 2003.
One of many clearest indicators of renewed confidence is amongst Syriacs, significantly in Tur Abdin – the historic heartland of Syriac Christianity in southeastern Turkiye that stretches throughout Midyat and the broader Mardin area. In these villages, return migration has slowly begun to reverse.
“Individuals who emigrated to Europe are constructing properties once more in Midyat and its villages,” Ustabasi mentioned. “The roads are higher than Istanbul, safety is strong, and a few are even getting ready to dwell there long run.”
He linked the shift on to improved safety circumstances within the southeast, a area that for many years was affected by clashes between the Turkish state and the outlawed Kurdistan Employees’ Occasion, or PKK, making journey and day by day life unpredictable. “A Turkiye with out terrorism opens many doorways. Folks really feel protected travelling, restoring properties, returning to their villages,” he mentioned.
Kostidis mentioned returns to Turkiye’s largest metropolis of Istanbul are additionally attainable – however require sensible fixes.
“Massive-scale returns are unlikely. However sure, some will come again if residency points are mounted,” he mentioned, calling for “a particular regulation” for Greeks from Istanbul with Greek citizenship.
“All communities – Muslim, Jewish, Armenian, Syriac, Greek – ought to dwell on this metropolis. Istanbul’s energy has at all times been its plurality.”
‘Highly effective message’
Regardless of vital progress, a number of authorized and administrative points stay unresolved, with the representatives citing basis board elections, authorized ambiguity round autonomy and longstanding circumstances in some properties’ handover.
Ustabasi known as for adjustments within the authorized framework, whereas Hatemi famous the state “nonetheless intervenes in basis governance in methods it by no means does with Muslim foundations. This mentality hasn’t absolutely modified – however I’m hopeful.”
Turkish-Armenian journalist and author Etyen Mahcupyan mentioned the tempo of reform shifted after a failed coup try in 2016, when state paperwork regained affect over politics and decision-making.
He believes restitution slowed consequently, however mentioned momentum might return if Turkiye “brings EU membership again to the forefront”. Turkiye began talks to hitch the bloc in 2005, however the accession bid has effectively been frozen.
Mahcupyan views Pope Leo’s go to as carrying political and symbolic resonance, on condition that the pope is seen not solely as a non secular determine but additionally as a political actor.
“Contemplating Turkiye’s international coverage ambitions, this go to gives constructive contributions. Ankara needs to form a Turkiye that’s accepted in world politics – and the world appears prepared for it.”
Mahcupyan famous the pope’s “clear position” on Israel’s genocidal battle on Gaza “aligns carefully with Turkiye’s personal line. This sort of convergence is necessary. It prevents Turkiye from turning inward, helps the world take a look at Turkiye extra gently – and softens attitudes in direction of non-Muslims.”
He additionally mentioned the go to helps guarantee minority communities “usually are not forgotten”.
Kostidis agreed.
“A Muslim-majority nation internet hosting the leaders of the Christian world – you’ll be able to’t give a extra highly effective message than this,” he mentioned.
