Transformation of a Church into a Mosque Casts a Shadow on the Greek Prime Minister’s Visit to Turkey
Mitsotakis Describes the Conversion of the "Holy Savior" Church in Istanbul into a Mosque as "Provocative"
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Saturday, two days before his official visit to Ankara, that he would ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reconsider the decision to convert the Holy Savior Church in Chora, an ancient Orthodox church in Istanbul, into a mosque.
Ankara made the decision to convert the iconic church into a mosque in 2020, but Mitsotakis said during an interview on Greek state television “Alpha TV” that “the fact that the implementation of the decision coincides with my visit will certainly allow me to raise this issue and find out if there is a possibility to reverse this action.”
On Monday, Muslims prayed for the first time in the Holy Savior Church in Chora after it was closed for four years before being converted into a mosque.
Erdogan celebrated from Ankara the reopening of the church as a mosque after ordering it in the summer of 2020, a month after the famous Hagia Sophia Church was converted into a mosque.
The Greek Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “provocation” by Ankara on Monday, considering that the conversion of the Holy Savior Church in Chora “alters its character and constitutes an infringement on this landmark listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and whose ownership belongs to humanity.”
The church was built in the Byzantine era, similar to Hagia Sophia, and adorned with mosaics and frescoes dating back to the fourteenth century, including paintings depicting “Judgment Day.”
The announcement in 2020 of the conversion of the church into a mosque raised concerns about the fate of the mosaics and frescoes. Many observers interpreted the conversion of Hagia Sophia and the ancient Chora Church into mosques as an attempt to appeal to President Erdogan‘s conservative and nationalist electoral base amidst worsening economic difficulties due to the COVID pandemic.
The Hagia Sophia and Chora Churches are located in the historic areas of Istanbul, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Mitsotakis emphasized on Saturday that the conversion of this church into a mosque was “an entirely unnecessary act” and “somewhat provocative” not only concerning Greek-Turkish relations but also regarding world heritage and “respect for its timeless character.”
The two leaders, Greek and Turkish, are scheduled to meet on Monday in Ankara, five months after the Turkish President’s visit to Athens, as part of an attempt to overcome their differences, especially regarding territories in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
