Papa Eftim IV was born as Paşa Ümit Erenerol. He is the grandson of Papa Eftim I and the son of Papa Eftim III. He became patriarch after Papa Eftim III resigned his position 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 a few weeks later.[1]