Career
He was given the title of Turkish Orthodox Patriarch of the Turkish Orthodox Church, an unrecognised Orthodox Christian denomination, with strong influences from Turkish nationalist ideology. Papa Eftim III was known as Selçuk Erenerol. He was a businessman by profession.
He became patriarch after Papa Eftim II died in May 1991.
Eftim III took over office ruling from 1991 until his resignation in 2002, after political disagreements with the Turkish government over growing links between the Turkish state and the Greek Ecumenical Patriarch and Turkish attempts to join the European Union. Papa Eftim III died on 20 December 2002 just weeks after his resignation from his position.
