by Dimitra Panagopoulou
Metropolitan Stephanos spoke on SKAI TV about the provocations of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
Regarding the conversion of Hagia Sofia into a mosque, the Metropolitan stressed that “I find it dangerous in general. It will create great disruption throughout the Orthodox Christian world.”
“Many international treaties have not been respected by many peoples in many cases. So, this is a similar action on the part of Turkey; treaties, conventions, agreements are not being respected. I think that this is just a pre-election expression of the Turkish Prime Minister. However, we cannot agree to something like this, regarding this great, historic church of Orthodoxy and our faith, and a great monument at the same time, the Metropolitan of Philippi added.
He also said that “I think it is necessary to make movements, reports and recordings, and this issue to be considered religiously, artistically, scientifically, because, as I have said, knowledge frees man.”
“Continued tolerance and often indifference (by the Greek side), but also the bravery of our own aviators and soldiers in aerial combats are important. That is why we need to be very careful in any of our references to these issues,” Metropolitan Stephanos said.