Patriarch Bartholomew thanks govt for returning orphanage

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew yesterday expressed his gratitude to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government for returning an orphanage to the church this week. Ankara decided to transfer the Buyukada Orphanage to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate following a European Court of Human Rights ruling that it had to return the orphanage to the patriarchate and pay a total of 26,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages as well as costs and expenses. Celebrating the foundation of a church yesterday on Istanbul 's Heybeliada island, Bartholomew expressed thanks to "everyone involved in the return (of the orphanage) and particularly for the government's close interest in the past few months." Greek Ambassador to Turkey Fotios-Jean Xydas also attended the celebration on Heybeliada.