ABTTF President: “Our country should immediately abandon its rejective approach towards the historical monuments remaining from the Ottoman Empire, which are a part of its cultural heritage, and should look after and protect them.”
According to the news report from the Millet newspaper, Metropolitan of Xanthi Panteleimon recently visited Gökçeada (Imbros) and announced that he has undertaken the repair of one of the 365 abandoned small churches on the island. After the repair of the small church is completed, Panteleimon will go to Gökçeada (Imbros) again to open it.
“This latest development has once again clearly revealed the different approaches of our country Greece and our motherland Turkey in terms of protecting historical and cultural heritage. While our motherland allows the renovation of even a small church belonging to the Greek Orthodox minority, a large part of the historical mosques left over from the Ottoman Empire in our country Greece has been demolished, let alone restored. All those that are still remaining standing in Thessaloniki, where thousands of Muslims live, are closed to worship and are used as museum and exhibition hall areas. The fact that the renovation of the historical Çelebi Sultan Mehmet (Beyazıt) Mosque in Didymoteicho, whose unique wooden roof was completely destroyed in the fire that broke out in March 2017 and that has not yet been finalised is a great shame for our country. Our country has constantly turned down the offers of help of our motherland for the renovation of the six-century-old mosque, which is one of the best examples of our common cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the original name of the Süleymaniye Madrasah on the island of Rhodes has recently been changed. All these examples do not suit our country, which claims to be the ‘cradle of democracy’. Our country, which takes an active role in the conservation of cultural heritage in the world, should immediately abandon its rejective approach towards the historical monuments remaining from the Ottoman Empire, which are a part of its own cultural heritage, and should look after and protect them”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
