Greece slams Turkey for converting Chora church, calls it 'brutal insult' of UNESCO site

Amidst an already escalating row over gas, Greece has now lambasted Turkey for converting another museum into a mosque. The Recep Tayyip Erdogan government, on August 21, announced that Istanbul’s Church of St. Saviour in Chora, will now come under Turkish religious authority and would be opened for Muslim prayers. Calling it “totally condemnable,” Athens has accused Ankara of insulting another heritage site.

'Brutal insult' 

The Greek Foreign Ministry, in a press release, asserted that regardless of worldwide criticism, Turkey converted the long-lasting Hagia Sophia museum in a mosque and it was now “brutally insulting” the “character of another UNESCO Cultural Heritage monument" within the Turkish territory.

“This is a provocation against all believers,” the Greek ministry said in a statement. “We urge Turkey to return to the 21st century, and the mutual respect, dialogue and understanding between civilisations.”

The Chora Church served as a mosque during Ottoman rule until it was transformed into a museum in 1945. However, a court decision last year revoked its status and Erdogan’s recent announcement puts a nail on the dispute. However, it remains unclear when the first prayers would be held. The church. situated near the ancient city walls, is known for its detailed mosaics and frescos and dates back to the 4th century even though it took on its current form in 11th-12th centuries. 

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This comes after Istanbul’s major landmark and UNESCO recognised heritage site Hagia Sophia, which served as a church and a mosque under different empires for several centuries before being designated the status of a museum by Turkey's founding government, was ordered by Erdogan to be restored to the status of a mosque. 

Read: Turkey President Erdogan Turns Another Museum Into Mosque After Hagia Sophia

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The statement comes at a time when tensions are running high between Greece and Turkey over exploration operations in the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Both countries have been sending warships in the disputed zone to shadow their research vessels and the European Union has been following the situation closely.