The move comes ahead of Trump’s expected visit to Ankara next month for a NATO summit, where bilateral ties and regional security issues are expected to be on the agenda.

The Halki Seminary, established in 1844 on Heybeliada Island in the Sea of Marmara, served as the principal theological institution of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate before being closed by Turkish authorities in 1971.

The school educated generations of Orthodox clergy, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians, whose patriarchate remains headquartered in Istanbul.

According to Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, whose diocese covers Istanbul, Erdogan has directed Turkiye’s higher education authorities to continue consultations with representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding the institution’s future.

The metropolitan said the issue had entered a “new phase” following the president’s intervention, indicating that formal institutional discussions had resumed after years of limited progress.

While no timeline has been established for reopening the seminary, officials and church representatives are expected to address several outstanding issues, including restoration work, governance arrangements and the legal framework under which the institution would operate.

The seminary was closed following a 1971 ruling by Turkiye’s Constitutional Court requiring private higher education institutions to be integrated into the state university system. The Ecumenical Patriarchate opposed the requirement, arguing that it would compromise the school’s religious autonomy.

The reopening of Halki has long been a point of discussion between Ankara and Western governments. The United States, Greece and the European Union have repeatedly urged Turkiye to allow the institution to resume operations, viewing the issue as an important measure of religious freedom and minority rights.

Trump reportedly raised the matter during talks with Erdogan in Washington last year, adding momentum to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving one of the most enduring disputes involving the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

For Ankara, any progress on Halki could serve as a signal of engagement with Western allies at a time when Turkiye is seeking to balance strategic ties with NATO partners while pursuing an independent regional foreign policy.

Church officials cautioned that significant administrative and legal work remains before the seminary can reopen. Nevertheless, the renewed dialogue marks the most tangible movement on the issue in years and raises the prospect that the institution could eventually resume its role as a center for Orthodox theological education.