Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered officials to resume talks on reopening an Orthodox Christian seminary near Istanbul, according to almonitor. The same day, Turkey's historic Sumela Monastery was officially reopened, with President Erdogan attending the online ceremony, according to trtworld.com.

The Halki seminary was founded in 1844 and shut by the Turkish state in 1971, according to almonitor. It has served as the Ecumenical Patriarchate's main theological school and trained generations of Orthodox clergy, including the current patriarch Bartholomew, who is based in Istanbul, according to almonitor. The issue of reopening the seminary was raised by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to visit Ankara next month for a NATO summit, according to almonitor.

Sumela Monastery underwent a restoration process that included landscaping and geological and geotechnical maintenance of rocks, according to trtworld.com. President Erdogan rebuffed criticism over the court decision that paved the way for Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia to be reopened as a mosque last week, according to trtworld.com. In a video conference, Erdogan said that if Turkey targeted symbols of other beliefs, the Sumela Monastery, which has existed for five centuries, would be gone forever, according to trtworld.com. He also said that on August 15, Orthodox citizens will be able to perform the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary religious service, which was suspended during the restoration period at Sumela Monastery, according to trtworld.com. Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, according to trtworld.com.