In 1925, Turkey expelled a religious leader and ended a centuries-old tradition
The expulsion of the Ecumenical Patriarch in 1925 signaled the end of a long-standing religious era as Turkey transformed from a multi-ethnic empire into a modern, secular nation-state.
In January 1925, Turkish police arrived at the residence of Patriarch Constantine VI and gave him only hours to leave the country. As the spiritual leader of millions of Orthodox Christians, his sudden expulsion from Istanbul marked a painful climax in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. This move ended a tradition of the Patriarchate's political influence that had lasted since the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz