Greek Chief of Staff gifts controversial map to Bartholomew

Greek Chief of General Staff Dimitrios Hupis sparked backlash after gifting a map showing Istanbul outside Turkiye to Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew during a visit to the Patriarchate in Istanbul. 

The map depicted the city as part of historical Hellenism and was shared on the official website of the Greek Armed Forces, which also referred to Bartholomew as “Ecumenical Patriarch.”

The visit took place on May 27, ahead of the 18th Balkan Chiefs of General Staff Conference hosted by Turkiye on May 28. 

Participating countries included Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and observer states.

The Fener Patriarchate did not share the visit or the gift on its channels, but the Greek military published a statement and photo online. 

The map, showing Thrace territories outside modern Turkiye, raised concerns in Ankara and among observers.

This comes amid heightened tensions, as a NATO exercise targeting Turkiye was underway in Alexandroupoli, Greece. 

Analysts view the gesture as a direct provocation and a violation of the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which ended the ecumenical status of the Fener Patriarchate.