Conversion of the temple of Saint Sophia in Nicaea (Turkey) into a mosque

23.11.2011

Question for written answer E-011192/2011
to the Commission
Rule 117
Ioannis Kasoulides (PPE)

On 6 November 2011, by decision of the Directorate-General for the ‘Wakfs’ (Turkish non-Muslim religious communities), and following controversial restoration works, the temple of Saint Sophia in Nicaea (Iznik) entered into service as a mosque. The temple, which is older than the Saint Sophia temple in Constantinople, is of particular historical significance, since it was there that the seventh Ecumenical Synod of 787 was convened. It was used as a mosque from 1331 until 1920, when it became a museum. However, Doctor Adnan Ertem, Director-General of the non-Muslim religious communities, defending the recent decision, denied that the church had ever ceased to be a mosque, an affirmation contradicted on the website of the Turkish Ministry for Culture and belied by the actual facts. In 1987, 1 200 years after the seventh Ecumenical Synod, a ceremony was held at the church in the presence of the late Patriarch Dimitrios and, on 26 December 2000, a service was celebrated there by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos and other Orthodox Church leaders. In an urgent communication of 20 October 2010, the Turkish Cultural Ministry announced that the temple would be one of the churches of Asia Minor authorised to celebrate Holy Mass.

The (partial) material and (total) spiritual corruption of this holy place of worship and the resulting infringement of the right of Christians from this area and elsewhere to worship there is only one example of the way in which the principles and values of the EU and United Nations are being flouted. Furthermore, Turkish MPs and members of the Turkish academic community have also voiced their concerns.

In view of this:

What action can the Commission take to preserve the historic value of the temple of Nicaea, a city with which all Christians, irrespective of their denomination, have close spiritual ties?

OJ C 180 E, 21/06/2012