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Orthodox schism shakes Turkish Riviera

A major rift in Orthodox Christianity compounded by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven a wedge into a growing Orthodox community on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
Burak Kara/Getty Images

ANTALYA, Turkey — The popular resort city of Antalya, the heart of the Turkish Riviera, has found itself on a major fault line in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy, with the divisions becoming increasingly visible since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The schism took place in 2018 after the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate decided to grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church autocephaly, paving the way for the latter’s split from the Patriarchate of Moscow. 

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