President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a historic error, making Hagia Sophia mosque, the international community must respond and not leave these actions without consequences, said the official representative of the government of Greece Stelios Petsas at a briefing on Monday.
"Since last Friday the entire civilized world, Europe and the West in General, Christians around the world and of course Greece, are faced with a challenge and insult to Turkey and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, decided to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It is a historical mistake. And the international community should respond to this," said Petsas.
According to him, it is not a question of bilateral relations of Greece and Turkey.
"the Question is not of the Greco-Turkish and the global. And we have stressed this dimension, both before and after the decision of Erdogan. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has strongly condemned Turkey’s decision, contacted Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to whom he expressed full support for Greece, discussed the matter with Archbishop Hieronymus and took the initiative to contact and consult with their colleagues," said Petsas.
"Greece considers it necessary to send to a neighboring country a strong message that no one can with impunity violate international law. And these actions are blatantly contrary to international obligations and international law, will have specific implications", – said the official representative of the Greek government.
Petsas also said that Athens asked the EU to draw up a list of measures if Turkey violates the sovereign rights of Greece.
"Greece asks the European Union to prepare a list of very strong measures if Turkey violates our sovereign rights. And Europe should understand that it is obliged to make decisions to slow down a Turkish provocation. The issue will be raised today by the Minister of foreign Affairs (Nikos) by Dendias at the meeting of the foreign Affairs Council of the European Union," said Petsas.
According to him, the list of measures could include diplomatic, political "and, of course, the economic" sanctions, they will offer the European Commission. With an appropriate message after the Council of foreign Ministers will speak Dendias, he said.
The state Council, Turkey’s highest administrative court – July 10, annulled the decision of 1934 the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a Museum. Immediately after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he had signed a decree about the transformation of the Cathedral into a mosque and the beginning of Muslim worship there. They will begin on July 24.
The Hagia Sophia was founded by the Christian Emperor Justinian, and was opened on 27 December 537. Cathedral over a thousand years was the largest Church in the Christian world. After the capture of Constantinople ��manami and the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Cathedral was converted into a mosque but since 1934 the building by decree of the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Ataturk became a Museum and was included in the world heritage list of UNESCO.
