Turkey’s Decision to Reopen Greek Monastery as Mosque Angers Greece

Chora Monastery. Photo source: Harvard

The Greek Foreign Ministry has reacted to an arbitrary decision by the Turkish government to reopen on Sunday the historic Chora Monastery in Istanbul as a mosque.

The move comes after similar arbitrary actions in 2020, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to change of status of the World Heritage Site and former Orthodox church of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and later in 2021 to re-open and re-settle the formerly invaded, abandoned and currently military-controlled Varosha on the anniversary of 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

In a statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry said the decision “constitutes a provocation for the international community as it distorts and affects its character as a UNESCO World Heritage Site belonging to humanity.”

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Photo source: Press Office of Prime Minister.

During a meeting this week with Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move was “totally unnecessary” and that he would be raising the issue during his visit to Turkey and meeting with Erdogan on May 13.

“The operation of the Monastery of Chora as a mosque is not a good message, it is a cultural heritage monument. When we wish to have good relations, we must respect common values,” said Sakellaropoulou.

The 4^th-century Chora Monastery, which until now had operated as a museum, reopened for Muslim prayers with a special ceremony on Sunday. In a video message, Erdogan said the mosque was reopening and welcoming believers in Istanbul.

“The maintenance of monuments’ universal character and compliance with international standards for the protection of religious and cultural heritage is a clear international obligation binding on all states,” said the Greek Foreign Ministry.