Europe fears religious conflicts after Erdogan’s Hagia Sophia change

Nahla Abdel Moneim

The Turkish decision to turn the Hagia Sophia Museum and Cathedral into a mosque sparked a wide reaction from the European Union countries that it considered undermining the efforts to establish peace between religious sects, and based on the intense conflict between the Union and Erdogan, highlighting the problem of political employment of religious and national sentiments, as a likely possibility that benefits the Turkish system By leading popular protests on the old continent.

The Hagia Sophia file dominated the talks of the European Union foreign ministers that took place on July 13, 2020, in turn the Union Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, stressed the condemnation of Erdogan’s decision to change the status of historical milestone by the 27 countries participating in the meeting.

Stressing that this decision will contribute to promoting intolerance and dissent among the people of different religions, as well as it disrupts cooperation efforts between citizens, calling on the Turkish administration to back down from its decision in order to contain the problems and possible divisions that may occur regarding this file, pointing out that the ministers decided to hold another meeting in August 2020 In Berlin to reconsider the issues of the Turkish provocations that are in the interest of the Union and its residents kara’s accession to it.

The decree issued on Friday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the re-conversion of Istanbul’s former Greek Orthodox cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque was seen as a message to both a domestic and international audience.

Erdoğan said in an address to the Turkish nation on Friday evening that the first prayers at the Hagia Sophia will take place on July 24.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, during a teleconference with colleagues in the European People’s Party ahead of Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council, described the decision to change Hagia Sophia’s status from a museum as a challenge to global culture and UNESCO.

Erdoğan’s move came just hours after the decision of Turkey’s top administrative court, which annulled the November 24, 1934 law of the government of the country’s secular founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with which Hagia Sophia was originally turned into a museum.

Shortly after the Turkish court’s ruling was announced, Erdoğan signed a decree turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque, transferring it to the State Directorate of Religious Affairs, which is also responsible for places of worship in Turkey.

Then in quick succession, the decision was made public in the government gazette, indicating the speed with which Erdogan wanted the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque to proceed. Even the accounts of Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on social networks that presented it under its previous status were almost immediately scrapped.

Although the Hagia Sophia case is not a Greek-Turkish dispute, the issue is expected to make it even more difficult for Athens and Ankara to establish effective and candid channels of communication.

However, Friday’s decision did not catch Greece by surprise, especially after the reading of the Islamic prayers in Hagia Sophia during the anniversary celebrations of the Fall of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) on May 29.

Erdoğan’s move, which cancels a highly symbolic decision by Atatürk in the context of the secularisation of Turkish society, was seen as a message to his critics at home who in recent days questioned his determination to go through with the conversion, given the intense pressure from Washington, Moscow and Brussels.

The move also met the demands of extremist radical Islamic elements in Turkey.

The presidential decree was read in the Turkish National Assembly to a standing ovation from deputies of the ruling AKP and the ultra-nationalist Nationalist Movement Party, who are part of the governing coalition. Similar enthusiasm was shown by groups gathered outside the Hagia Sophia.

The European Union condemned a decision by Turkey to convert the UNESCO world heritage site Hagia Sophia into a mosque and called on the country to ease mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The EU agreed the common stance on Turkey following a “long and interesting debate between its foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

“Several serious issues must be addressed by Turkey in order to change the current confrontational dynamic and create an environment of trust with Turkey, which everybody wishes,” Borrell said.

Other developments of concern included Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Libya, he said.

Turkey is drilling for hydrocarbons off the island of Cyprus, which the EU has said is illegal. In Libya, Ankara is supplying militants, weapons and military know-how in support of the United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli. But EU member states say it is breaking an arms embargo on the country and should do more to bring opposing sides in the conflict to the peace table.

Relations between the EU and Turkey are under continuous strain, the ministers agreed, according to Borrell.

“We stress also that Turkey’s unilateral actions, in particular in the Eastern Mediterranean, which run counter to EU interests, to the sovereign rights of EU Member States and to international law, must come to an end,” he said.

While Turkey is seen as an important country for the European Union, which is seeking to strengthen bilateral relations, the process should be achieved “in respect of EU values, principles and interests,” Borrell said.

Turkey should “contribute actively to a political solution in Libya and to respect the commitments it has taken in the framework of the Berlin process, including the United Nations arms embargo,” he said.

Turkey says it is exercising its sovereign rights in the Mediterranean and actions there and in Libya are designed to protect its security and contribute to regional stability and equality.

On Hagia Sophia – the Istanbul monument has been turned into a mosque following a court decision last week – Borrell said Turkey should swiftly remedy the situation.

“This decision will inevitably fuel mistrust, promote renewed divisions between religious communities and undermine our efforts at dialogue and cooperation” he said.

“There was broad support to call on the Turkish authorities to urgently reconsider and reverse this decision.”

Borrell said EU foreign minister supported the European Commission in exploring further paths to lowering tensions. The options included possible sanctions, which the bloc wanted to avoid, he said.

“I will prepare options on further appropriate measures that could be taken in response to the challenges we are facing as a result of Turkish actions, including in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said. “In the meantime, work will also continue on additional listings within the existing sanctions framework as requested by Cyprus.”

Borrell said technical work would continue on additional listings within the existing sanctions framework.

“We do not want to anticipate a situation in which we could have an increase of tensions,” he said. “For sure drillings in Greek waters disputed by Turkey would be something that could increase tensions.

Turkey has said it may extend drilling activities in the Mediterranean to include waters near the Greek island of Crete, citing a maritime agreement it made with Libya at the end of last year.

“We will prepare options and further appropriate measures that could be taken in response to the challenges that we are facing as a result of Turkey’s actions,” Borrell said.