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Hurriyet- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis reportedly did not get a positive response on reopening Istanbul's Heybeliada seminary from her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, whom she met during the NATO meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria.
During the meeting, Bakoyannis reportedly said that Turkey should take further steps on religious freedom during its European Union negotiation process, and within this context she touched on the importance of reopening the Heybeliada seminary.
Gul replied that Turkey had no problems with religious liberty and that minorities could practice their religions. But Gul added that the seminary giving religious education would violate the Constitution and the principle of secularism.
In related news, Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos told a group of Greek tourists in Cappadocia, "Athens is the only European city lacking a mosque. If you support construction of a mosque, we can seek authorities' protection for the churches here."