Although religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, as indicated by the European Commission in its 2004 Regular Report, non-Muslim religious communities, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate, continue, however, to encounter obstacles and are subject to a bureaucratic regime.
Selv om religionsfriheden er garanteret i Den Tyrkiske Republiks forfatning, hvilket Kommissionen har understreget i sin regelmæssige rapport fra 2004, bliver der imidlertid stadig lagt hindringer i vejen for ikke-muslimske religiøse samfund, herunder Det Økumeniske Patriarkat, og de underlægges bureaukratiske regler.