The request of Alexis Georgoulis, MEP of SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, for the inclusion of the monument in the “List of World Heritage in Danger” will be placed on the agenda of the 44th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
Immediately after the announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which converted Hagia Sophia, a monument of outstanding ecumenical value, into a mosque, the MEP sent a letter to the Director-General of UNESCO and to the members of the World Heritage Committee with a double request: (a) to immediately place the monument on the World Heritage List in Danger in accordance with Article 11 (4) of the World Heritage Convention; (b) to add the item to the agenda of the next General Conference in order to discuss and evaluate the current situation. The letter was co-signed by 18 MEPs from 5 political groups.
In the reply letter, the Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, reaffirmed the UNESCO’s critical attitude towards the decision of the Turkish authorities and noted that the issue had been placed on the agenda of the World Heritage Committee, which will consider next session what measures will be taken assessing the change of status, along with the request and the letter sent on the initiative of Alexis Georgoulis.
