17 July 2016

Dear Mr President,

dear Members of the Turkish Government,

we hereby address You with a request that the historic Hagia Sophia Basilica be restored to the Orthodox Christians for divine worship.

This Basilica served as the major Christian temple of the city of Constantinople until 1453. After the violent Islamization of the Christian territory, the Christian population fell to 0.1%. The Basilica was converted into a mosque. We request that this historic sacral building be restored to its original condition and returned. We also demand elimination of discrimination against Christians in Turkey as well as religious freedom for them.

Over the last 40 years, the Christian states of Europe have helped build hundreds of mosques for Muslim migrants on their territory. Christians do not hinder the Muslim immigrants in fulfilling their religious duties. We demand the same receptiveness to Christians in Istanbul, which is considered a European city.

The largest mosque in Europe with capacity for 10.000 Muslims was inaugurated in the Orthodox city of Moscow last year.

In the event that on behalf of the Turkish state You refuse to return the historic Hagia Sophia temple to Christians, we propose, as partial satisfaction, that the mosque in Moscow be converted into an Orthodox temple and the mosque in Rome into a Catholic temple.

Thank You in advance for a positive response to our request.

+ Elijah

Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

+ Methodius OSBMr                                    + Timothy OSBMr

Secretary Bishops

https://vkpatriarhat.org/de/?page_id=9564

Copies to:

Governments of EU Member States and Russia

UN Committee for Human Rights

Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights

Bishoprics of the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches

Mass media

Download: A request for the restoration of the Hagia Sophia Basilica (17/7/2016)