AHI Strongly Condemns Erdogan’s Decision to Change The Chora Museum’s Status
No. 52
WASHINGTON, DC - The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) strongly condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s formal action on Monday, May 8, 2024, that changed The Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, from a museum into a mosque. AHI calls on Congress and U.S. Department of State to publicly and unambiguously express the outrage of the American people at this sordid act.
The Chora Church is a UNESCO-designated site. By this deplorable act, Turkey adds to its pattern of rejecting international norms, international institutions, laws, and treaties. Erdogan has exiled from the political and social life of Turkey any notion of religious tolerance.
“Members of the U.S. Congress, in both chambers, and Administration officials, who profess to be advocates of religious freedom and tolerance must immediately implement every policy at their disposal to demonstrate that this act is intolerable,” President Nick Larigakis said. “The United States’ and international community’s appeasement of Turkey must end. Otherwise, Turkey will continue with its provocative acts, such has this one, which are egregious and without fear of repercussion.
AHI has repeatedly publicized the fact that Turkey is erasing its religious and cultural heritage by suppressing of the freedom of its religious minorities to worship as they see proper.
On February 12, 2024, President Larigakis wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to raise the matter of Turkey’s announced plans to convert the historic Chora Church. Ambassador Hussain responded to President Larigakis on behalf of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
On April 3, 2024, President Larigakis met with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain, and Policy Officer Sonia Fernandes, Office of International Religious Freedom, to elevate the community’s concerns about Turkey’s record on religious freedom, including regarding the issue of St. Chora.
Larigakis added AHI will follow up with Ambassador Hussain and his colleagues at the State Department about this matter.
Policy Background
AHI has long maintained that Turkey violates U.S. principles and law on freedom of religion as they are set forth in Section 2804 of the FY98 Omnibus Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (PL 105-277). This law calls for the Turkish government to safeguard the Ecumenical Patriarchate, its personnel, and its property, and to reopen the Halki Patriarchal School of Theology.
In November 2023, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a substantive report, “Examination of Threats to Religious Sites in Turkey.” It details Turkey’s poor record toward its religious minority communities by presenting evidence of how threats and attacks directed at sites such as places of worship, cemeteries, and religious institutions are met with little or no action by Turkish authorities.
The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
For additional information, please contact us at (202) 785-8430 or pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.
