Political leaders of Turkey expressed their best wishes for the Orthodox Easter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Turkish Orthodox Community.
In particular, the leader of the Opposition and the head of the CHP party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the governor of Constantinople, Ali Yerlikaya, the mayor of Constantinople, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the new president of DEAVA, the newly-established party, Ali Babacan, who also was former minister and vice president of the Turkish Government, talked on the phone with the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Ecumenical Patriarch thanked all his interlocutors for their kind initiative and for their interest in the issues that concern the Orthodox community in Turkey.
It is recalled that a few days ago the President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan contacted His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and expressed his wishes for Easter. He also thanked the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Metropolises and the Greek community in Turkey for their contribution to the fundraising for the fight against the coronavirus disease.
In addition, Archbishop Anastatios of Albania called the Ecumenical Patriarch and wished him all the best for the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.