Trump's week in review: Pres. Erdogan meeting, Tylenol warning and TikTok
3. Trump meets with Erdogan, pushes for reopening of closed Turkish seminary
Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House Thursday.
During his opening remarks, as translated by an interpreter, Erdogan claimed he was ready to “do whatever we can that falls on our part” to ensure the reopening of the Theological School of Halki in Turkey, a former seminary that was shut down by the Turkish government more than half a century ago.
Erdogan also vowed to discuss the issue with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church upon his return to Turkey.
Trump added: “The Greek Orthodox Church was here and they would really like to have some help. They need some help, and I said I’d mention it. We appreciate it.”
In a statement reacting to the meeting between Trump and Erdogan, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America thanked Trump for “listening to this matter which was raised during last week’s meeting in the Oval Office by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.”
The archbishop added that the reopening of the Halki School would “both affirm respect for religious rights and enable the Ecumenical Patriarchate to once again operate its leading theological institution.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
