ECHR Orders Turkey to Pay 4,000 Euros Over Priests' Removal From Minority Foundation Boards
Updated
Updated · Courthouse News Service · May 26
ECHR Orders Turkey to Pay 4,000 Euros Over Priests' Removal From Minority Foundation Boards
2 articles · Updated · Courthouse News Service · May 26
Two Greek Orthodox priests won a Strasbourg ruling after Turkish authorities removed them from Istanbul minority foundation boards despite no clear law barring clergy from serving.
The European Court of Human Rights said Turkey violated freedom of association, read with religious freedom protections, because officials relied on the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne rather than a clear, accessible legal basis.
Niko Mavrakis and Corc Kasapoğlu had been elected in 2011 and 2012, then spent years caught between Turkish administrative and civil courts before the case reached Strasbourg.
The court awarded each priest 2,000 euros and said the judgment could matter beyond the two men because minority foundations run churches, schools, cemeteries and other communal property for non-Muslim groups.
Rights advocates called the ruling a landmark for Turkey's shrinking Greek Orthodox community and other minorities, though the judgment is not final and either side can seek Grand Chamber review within three months.
A court found Turkey misused a treaty meant to protect minorities. Can this ruling finally secure their autonomy?
After this landmark legal victory, will Turkey finally address larger issues like the long-closed Halki Theological School?
ECHR Finds Turkey in Violation: 2026 Judgment Reshapes Religious Freedom and Minority Foundation Governance
Overview
On May 28, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a significant ruling, finding Turkey in violation of the rights of two Greek Orthodox priests who were removed from minority community foundation boards. This decision drew considerable attention for its implications on religious freedom and minority rights in Turkey, highlighting the ECHR's commitment to upholding fundamental freedoms. Advocates for religious freedom, such as Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis and the Archons, expressed deep appreciation, seeing the ruling as a validation of their long-standing efforts to protect the rights of the Greek Orthodox Christian community of Constantinople.