159-210

The attempt to establish a Turkish orthodox church in Cappadocia, 1921-1923

Articles

• Αλεξανδρής, Αλέξης
• Αλεξανδρής, Αλέξης

As the Greek-Turkish national rivalry spread to Asia Minor duringthe Anatolian war of 1920-1922, the Cappadocian Greeks found themselves,for the first time in centuries, at the midst of military hostilities.It was during this period that the striking cultural, economic and demographicrenaissance of the Karamanli Greeks came to an abrupt andsorrow end. Anxious to put an end to the links between the Greeksof the Phanar and Cappadocian Orthodox, the Kemalist Turks triedto sever the religious ties of Asia Minor with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.To achieve this end they employed the services of an ambitious Anatolianpriest Papa Eftim (Efthymios Karahissaridis). Papa Eftim wasa Karamanli Greek Orthodox from Akdagmadeni, near Yozgat. He wasordained in 1915 and when Gervasios Sarisitis, the archbishop of Angora,moved to the Phanar in 1918, he assumed the title of locum tenons forthe parish of Keskin. Relying on his powerful Kemalist connections,Papa Eftim managed to coerse the three Greek Orthodox prelates, whowere stranded in the nationalist-held zone, into convening a congressat the monastery of St. John at Zincidere, Caesarea (Kayseri). Thiscongress proclaimed the foundation of a Turkish Orthodox Church inAnatolia. While declaring its independence from the Phanar, the TurkishOrthodox Church proposed to promote harmonious relations betweenthe Muslims and Orthodox of Anatolia. The new breakaway church enjoyed not only the blessing but also the direct encouragementof the Ankara government, for it was compatible with the Kemalistdesire to turkify the Anatolian Christians. The basis of this church,however was destroyed when the Karamanli Greeks were included inthe exchange of populations.

• Philosophy, Ethics and Religion

• Ιστορία
• Θρησκεία

• http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/deltiokms/article/view/2420
• http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/deltiokms.39