The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has brought a suit against the Turkish government at the European Court of Human Rights. As reported by the Turkish television network NTV and the “Turkish Daily News”, the action against the Turkish government regards rights to ownership of an orphanage situated on the island of Büyükada. The disputed property is one of the largest wooden buildings in Europe. The Patriarchate has repeatedly tried to have its rights to ownership of the site recognized. The ruling of the European court could represent an important legal precedent for the Patriarchate: if the verdict should be in favour of its property rights, the Turkish authorities would probably be obliged to recognize the juridical personality of this religious organization which the government has hitherto rejected.
