Consistent with a long-standing U.S. position calling on the Turkish government to ensure access to monuments of different religious communities that are being converted into mosques, the State Department responded to the conversion of the historic Chora Monastery into a mosque.
In response to a question from the ANA-MPA, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said that this should be done in a way that respects the diverse history of the monument.
He noted, “We are aware that the Chora Museum, a World Heritage Site, has been reopened as a mosque, and we refer you to the Turkish government for further details. We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories.”
It will be recalled that the State Department had expressed the same position in July 2020, when Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
