On February 20, 2009, Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The U.S. senator was accompanied by U.S. Consul General to Turkey Ms. Sharon Anderholm Wiener and Mr. Endy Zemenidis, Director of the Political Bureau of the Illinois State Treasurer, Mr. Alexi Giannoulias.

In statements to Turkish media, Durbin reported on the issue of the Halki Theological School and announced that in his talks in Ankara with Turkish government officials, he expressed the undiminished interest of many Americans, including himself, for the school’s reopening.