The once-thriving ethnic Greek Orthodox community, has become an “endangered species” in its homeland (Prodromou and Shea); but sadly, many politicians, historians and ordinary people fail to realize this suppressed community of the Holy Orthodox Church founded by the Apostle Andrew the brother of Saint Peter in 33AD. This is oldest established church which is in danger of extinction in Asia Minor. In the city of Constantinople (present day Istanbul) there were multitudes of worshiping Orthodox Christians, but today it is hard to find prominent groups living anywhere in Istanbul. At the turn of the century there were 2 million Orthodox Christians in Turkey; 1.5 million were expelled in 1923, another 150,000 left in 1955 after violent anti-Christian riots “progroms” in Istanbul (Radliffe). Today only 2,000 Greek Orthodox Christians remain. Religious minorities in Turkey, including the Greek Orthodox Christians, are being systematically eradicated by the government authorities’ resistance to change the oppressing legal restrictions on minorities, including: internal governance, education, property rights, legal status, aggravating the delicate relationship between religion and state. Turkey’s record on human rights for religious minorities is not up to par or to the standard of western democracies and if a democracy is judged on how it treats its minorities, Turkey is failing. When it comes to a solution for the issue of religious freedoms there are a few ways to help the Orthodox minorities earn their fundamental human rights, these include bringing awareness to the plight of the Patriarchate, political intervention including pressure from foreign dignitaries and fundraising to support the causes.
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