Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), denounced the conversion of a historic Ottoman-era building in Greece into a music school.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Çelik condemned the Greek authorities' disrespect toward spiritual centers, mosques and martyrs’ cemeteries. “It is unacceptable that Ottoman heritage Murat Reis complex in Rhodes island was converted into a faculty of music. Greek authorities’ systematic policy of erasing the identity of Ottoman Turkish structures disrespects humanity’s common cultural heritage. They should be ashamed of practices aiming to insult our martyrs,” Çelik wrote.
He said Türkiye has accepted many Greek-Orthodox churches in its territory as the common heritage of humanity and restored and reopened them for worship. “Nevertheless, we see Greece pursues a barbaric approach against shared heritage and savagely attacks it,” he added.
In the years following Greek independence, many Ottoman buildings were converted into military prisons, cinemas, provincial offices, hostels and storage units.
Moreover, dozens of mosques were closed to worship, while others were converted to churches. Many buildings abandoned since this time have fallen into ruin. The Fethiye Mosque in Athens, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1458, is currently being used as an exhibition hall. The city's Tzisdaraki Mosque has also been repurposed as a ceramics museum. Meanwhile, in the country's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, the Hamza Bey Mosque – the oldest in the city – has been closed due to restoration work aiming to transform the building into a museum. The iconic building, which was constructed in 1467, was previously converted into a movie theater. The city's Alaca Imaret Mosque, which is nearly just as old, has also been turned into a museum. Thessaloniki's Yeni Mosque – built in 1904 – has long been closed to worship, with its minaret having been destroyed after the city was incorporated into modern Greece. At present, the building serves as a municipality exhibition hall. At the same time, the White Tower, one of the most important Ottoman monuments in Thessaloniki, is promoted as a "Byzantine work" and symbol of the city. Mosques and historical buildings in many other Greek cities such as Ioannina, Larissa and Kavala are also suffering from the same fate. The Aslan Pasha Mosque in the city of Ioannina, the Veli Pasha Mosque in Rethymno and the Zincirli Mosque, built in the 16th century in Serres, have all been converted into museums.
Greece, which once maintained close ties with Türkiye, draws criticism from Ankara for stoking tensions in the Aegean Sea where Türkiye has territorial rights.
