OPINION: Turkey’s Prized Jewels
Turkey is a secular nation, and a Hagia Sophia that embraces the world with open doors could possibly host Christmas and Easter services, too. Korsan Cevdet writes.
On 10 July 2020, Turkey’s highest court unanimously annulled a 1934 cabinet decree, enabling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to revert the Hagia Sophia heritage site back into a mosque. Internationally, this caused a bit of stir in certain circles, made headlines globally, and was the topic of debate on a number of radio programmes.
But, why is this happening? 99.8 percent of Turkey’s 82 million people are Muslim, and a fair majority are nationalists and conservatives. This is why President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has comfortably been in power since 2002.
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Turkish nationalists and conservatives alike are generally outspoken supporters of this move and have been calling for the reversion for some time. And, why shouldn’t they? Turks have every right to manage their national treasures and domestic affairs as they see fit and without external interference. Turkey has not committed a crime, breached human rights, or acted against any international norms and standards through this decision. On the contrary, President Erdogan confirmed that Hagia Sophia’s “doors will be open to everyone, Muslim or non-Muslim. As the world’s common heritage, Hagia Sophia, with its new status, will keep on embracing everyone in a more sincere way”.
What the world needs to appreciate is that Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia are Turkey’s prized jewels. Historically, Istanbul was called Byzantium and Constantinople, and served as the capital of the Byzantine empire. The Hagia Sophia was built under Emperor Justinian I’s guidance between 532 and 537 AD, served as the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church afterwards, and was the cultural centre of the Byzantine Empire.
During a period when European imperial powers were demarcated by faith, Constantinople and Hagia Sophia’s conquest was strategically, emotionally, and symbolically critical to the Ottoman Empire’s ascent to global power. With Constantinople’s acquisition in 1453, Sultan Mehmet (Muhammet) II entered the walled city and went directly to the Hagia Sophia, declared the basilica a mosque, and personally led the first communal prayer. Hagia Sophia served as a mosque until 1934.
True, there are historical sensitivities, but critics should not be hypocritical. President Erdogan and Turkey are preaching openness and inclusion. Anyone that visits Turkey has the opportunity to enjoy all of its mosques and take-in their beautiful architecture, design, structure, and artistry. Why would Hagia Sophia be any different?
Some have even tried to argue that religious buildings should never change or be modified from their original purpose. When we look throughout history though, we see that with the changing of the guard and the consolidation of new powers, prized locations and houses of worship are almost always transformed. For example, when Christianity spread across Europe, pagan places of worship were Christianised. In fact, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is built on top of a necropolis and following 700 years of Islamic rule in Iberia, mosques were destroyed or routinely converted to churches. This culminated with the Great Mosque of Cordoba’s conversion into a cathedral in 1236.
Instead of stoking tension and causing discord, those interested in safeguarding the sanctity of the Hagia Sophia should consider taking an amicable approach. Turkey is a secular nation, and a Hagia Sophia that embraces the world with open doors could possibly host Christmas and Easter services, too. Provocative gestures will only be perceived as foreigners trying to meddle in a strictly domestic, Turkish matter. Such unacceptable interference is, by nature, against international norms and standards.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Radio EastMed or other any other clients and affiliates of Radio EastMed.
Korsan Cevdet was born in Limassol, Cyprus. He is a dual Turkish and Canadian national. With two Masters in Political Science and Business Administration, he regularly writes op-eds on international relations, focusing on security politics, international political economy, and financial crises. Tweets @KorsanCevdet.
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