Athens Medical Group to provide free healthcare to the Fener Gree Patriarchate and Greek Community in Gökçeada, Bozcaada

As part of its social responsibility projects, Athens Medical Group has announced the expansion of its "Medical Protection Program" to provide free healthcare services to the Greek community in Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos), as well as to members of the Greek Patriarchate. The agreement covers primary and secondary healthcare services at the group's clinics.

Greek Media’s Perspective on the Collaboration
Greek media has hailed this agreement as a move to strengthen the Patriarchate and support the Greek minority. Some commentators in Greece have even described it as a demonstration of national solidarity.

As part of this initiative, Athens Medical Group CEO Dr. Vasilis G. Apostolopoulos met with Patriarch Bartholomew to discuss the details of the program. The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Kyrillos of Gökçeada and Bozcaada and Athens Medical Group representative Pavlos Efthimiu. The discussions highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the medical group and the Patriarchate.

During his visit to the Patriarchate, Dr. Apostolopoulos stated:

"We are aware of our responsibility towards the Patriarchate, the ancient center of Orthodoxy and Hellenism. In this regard, we consider it our duty to provide the best healthcare services to the Greek community in Gökçeada and Bozcaada, as well as to the Patriarchate."

Patriarch Bartholomew expressed gratitude to Athens Medical Group, emphasizing that this support would greatly contribute to meeting the healthcare needs of the Greek community.

What If a Similar Agreement Was Made in Western Thrace?
While the agreement has been met with criticism in Türkiye, with some social media users and local news outlets (e.g., canakkaledemokrat.com) labeling it a scandal, discussions have also emerged among Western Thrace’s Turkish minority.

Many argue that if a Turkish medical group signed a similar agreement with Western Thrace’s elected muftis and declared:

"We are aware of our responsibility towards the ancient centers of Islam and Turkishness in Western Thrace. In this regard, we consider it our duty to provide the best healthcare services to the Turkish community and religious institutions in Western Thrace."

The reaction from Greek authorities, the Orthodox Church, and the Greek media would likely be extremely negative. Critics claim that Greek media outlets, through centrally coordinated reporting, would label the muftis as "traitors" and provoke hostility against the Turkish minority.

This situation raises several questions:

• Did the Patriarchate reject Turkish doctors, or does it believe there is insufficient medical support for Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians in Türkiye?
• Is this merely a humanitarian initiative, or does it serve as another strategic effort by Greece to strengthen its institutional ties with the Patriarchate?
• Why does the Patriarchate remain silent when Western Thrace’s Turkish community faces systematic discrimination? Shouldn't they, given their position, show empathy toward the Turks of Western Thrace?

These questions highlight the ongoing tensions in Greek-Turkish relations regarding minority rights, sparking concerns over double standards and geopolitical motives.