Greek Tourists Remain Detained in Turkey After Hagia Sophia Flag Incident

Two Greek tourists were arrested successful Istanbul aft unfurling a Greek Orthodox emblem wrong Hagia Sophia connected Holy Thursday. Credit: Flickr / Dennis Jarvis / CC BY SA 2

Two Greek tourists arrested successful Istanbul aft displaying a emblem wrong Hagia Sophia stay successful pretrial detention, Greece’s Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told parliament, arsenic Athens continues efforts to unafraid their merchandise done diplomatic and ineligible channels.

The incidental took spot connected Orthodox Holy Thursday astatine Hagia Sophia. According to Turkish media reports, the 2 tourists, a pistillate traveling with a Greek passport and a antheral with dual Greek and Australian citizenship, entered the monument arsenic portion of an organized circuit group.

Greek tourists show emblem wrong Hagia Sophia

Turkish reports said the brace unfurled a bluish emblem with a achromatic cross, resembling a mentation of the Greek flag, on with the Byzantine double-headed eagle and the operation “Orthodoxy oregon Death.”

Security camera footage reportedly showed the tourists passing done the required checks earlier moving to the precocious level of Hagia Sophia, an country unfastened to visitors. Once there, 1 of them allegedly removed the emblem from wrong a jacket, unfolded it, and posed for a photograph. The emblem was past reportedly handed to different subordinate of the group, who repeated the action.

Turkish media besides reported that surveillance footage suggested others successful the radical whitethorn person been preparing to enactment earlier information unit intervened.

Turkish authorities bid arrests

According to Turkish media, the tribunal ordered their apprehension connected a complaint described arsenic inciting nationalist hatred oregon insulting a conception of the public. Gerapetritis told parliament that Turkish authorities are handling the lawsuit arsenic 1 of incitement to hatred and hostility.

The Greek overseas curate stressed that the lawsuit does not interest lone the show of the emblem wrong Hagia Sophia. He said Turkish authorities besides focused connected the written connection “Orthodoxy oregon Death,” which they determined could autumn wrong the scope of a transgression discourtesy nether Turkish law.

Athens pursues ineligible options for Greek tourists held implicit Hagia Sophia incident

Gerapetritis was responding to a parliamentary question from Georgios Manousos, an autarkic MP primitively elected with the far-right Spartans party.

Greek overseas curate said Greece’s consul wide successful Istanbul has been successful interaction with the 2 detainees and their lawyers since the time of the arrest. Greek authorities are besides coordinating with Turkish officials successful an effort to resoluteness the case.

Athens is moving toward 2 imaginable outcomes. One is an expedited trial, which Turkish courts tin accelerate erstwhile overseas nationals are involved. The different is the replacement of pretrial detention with conditional release.

Previous Hagia Sophia lawsuit cited arsenic precedent

Gerapetritis besides referred to a erstwhile incidental successful December 2024, erstwhile six cadets from the Hellenic Air Force Academy were detained aft raising a Greek emblem wrong Hagia Sophia. They were aboriginal released pursuing diplomatic involution by Athens.

However, the overseas curate said the existent lawsuit differs due to the fact that of the written slogan that accompanied the emblem display.

“They are successful bully health. We are successful continuous communication,” Gerapetritis told MPs, adding that the Foreign Ministry is acting “with work and respect, without grandstanding.”

Ayasofya'da bayrak açan 2 Yunan turist tutuklandı.
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Hagia Sophia holds heavy symbolic significance

The incidental carries peculiar sensitivity because Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, historically known as Constantinople, remains 1 of the strongest symbols of the Greek Orthodox satellite astir six centuries aft the Ottoman conquest and its conversion into a mosque.

From 537 to 1453, the church, known to the Byzantines arsenic the “Great Church,” stood astatine the halfway of Eastern Christianity. More than a monumental structure, it served arsenic the religious, political, and creator bosom of the Byzantine Empire. Historical accounts picture a immense ineffable abstraction that could clasp thousands of worshippers, portion hundreds of priests, deacons, and chanters conducted its liturgies.

Its importance, however, ne'er rested connected size alone. Builders placed Hagia Sophia successful what galore astatine the clip saw arsenic the “New Jerusalem,” and the monument came to symbolize some imperial powerfulness and the triumph of Christianity aft centuries of Roman persecution.

A monument astatine the halfway of history

The operation completed successful 537 AD did not people the opening of Christian worship connected the site. Tradition holds that Constantine I founded the archetypal basilica astir 325 AD connected the remains of a pagan temple. His son, Constantius II, consecrated the cathedral successful 360.

Fire damaged that aboriginal religion successful 404 during unrest that followed the 2nd exile of St. John Chrysostom, past Patriarch of Constantinople. Authorities aboriginal rebuilt and enlarged it, and Theodosius II rededicated it successful 415. The Nika riots, however, destroyed it erstwhile again successful 532.