The Ecumenizm and Fener Rum Patriarch

Fener Rum Orthodox Patriarch is a historical church, which has beenexisted approximately 1700 years within Anatolia and Istanbul. After separation ofRoman Empire, it performed as Bizantine Empire Church. Being the end of theBizantine Empire it was given some privileges by Fatih Sultan Mehmed andchanged formation as the church of Ottoman Orthodox Minority Society. By theestablisment of new Turkish Republic it was entrusted as the church of the GreekOrigined Orthodox Minority living in Turkey.During the period of Republic of Turkey, the arguments about thePatriarch has been mainly started with the nomination of Patric Athenagoras ( AGreek origined Archbishop of USA Orthodox Church) in 1948, even he was not aTurkish Citizen. In this period, the cooperation with USA against Soviet Unionthreat had also brought the gentle relationship with Greece and caused thedisappearance of suspicious (which had been coming from the past) againstPatriarch for a while. But this period lasted very short and from the middle of1950?s, the effect of murders organized by Church in Cyprus, made thesesuspiciouses aroused again.In 1990, by Patric Bartholomeos coming to the duty, Patriarch hasaccelerated its international activities to make international public opinion admit itsEcumenic speeches by the support of USA, EU and Greece.Turkey getting started the negotiations to join EU by 2000?s, this periodcomes out as an new era to enforce Turkey to admit Patriarch?s ecumenism. Even ithad not been existed in the first declaration, the admittance of Patriarch?secumenism, in the name of minority rigths and religious freedom, was put forwardas one of the obligatories to join EU. Coming out of new demands as openingHeybeliada Clergy School by admitting the allien students, appointment of allienclergies to Saint Sinode Council, to lift the obligation about Patrichs to be TurkishCitizen, has strengthened the claims of foundation of a religion state like Vatican bythe supports of USA and EU.Fener Rum Orthodox Patriarch is a governmental foundation of whichrights are guaranteed by Turkish Constitution and Turkish laws. Then where doesthe idea of ?the Patriarch is the highest rank of overall Orthodox society? comesfrom and leans to?In this study which was composed of four parts, we are searching foranswer to this question especially by giving examples of contemporary incidents andnews and trying to clarify the arguments.