The Parliament unanimously approved a resolution condemning the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque

Defence Redefined

17/07/2020

The House of Representatives unanimously approved, by 51 votes, a resolution that condemns the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque by the Turkish government.

“Hagia Sophia remains throughout the years an ecumenical symbol of religious worship and a monument of world cultural heritage belonging to all humanity and constitutes an excellent example of innovative architectural design and structural perfection, as well as a precious historical monument which reflects Constantinople’s rich and long history,” the resolution reads.

At the same time, it points out that Hagia Sophia has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1985, as a museum in the historical zone of Istanbul, while it also refers to the fact that according to the 1972 UNESCO Treaty for the Protection of World Heritage Sites, which has also been signed by Turkey, for any physical intervention and functional changes in the registered buildings and sites there must be a relevant authorization by the UNESCO Conservation Council and the resolution of the European Parliament on 13 March 2019, according to which the European Parliament opposes any extreme view that promotes the alteration of the physiognomy of the historical-religious monument of Hagia Sophia as well as its conversion into a mosque.

The parliament in its resolution condemns the announced intention of the Turkish government to change the current regime of Hagia Sophia, which energizes the climate in the region and provokes the feelings not only of Christians, but also of those who believed and still believe in freedom and peace.

It expresses its deep concern about the possibility of turning the Hagia Sophia into a mosque and the consequent interventions in the monument that will result in the destruction of important historical and archaeological elements.

Also read: The reactions of the Greek community to the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque

It calls on the institutions of the European Union, the United Nations and UNESCO to put effective pressure on the Turkish government in order to preserve the current status of Hagia Sophia and, consequently, the universal cultural character of this emblematic monument.

Source: CNA