“It is no coincidence that the 24th of July was chosen, the day when the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. The erasure of Kemal Ataturk’s legacy goes beyond converting the Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque. It is also the change of the 24th of July from a day commemorating the birth of modern Turkey into the day remembered for making the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This political battle, weaponizing symbols, might provoke intense passions inside and outside Turkey and bring momentary political gains but it does not solve the country’s most pressing issues. Reality and not symbols will determine the future,” writes Ioannis N. Grigoriadis in his article for newspaper “TA NEA”.
You can read the full article in Greek here.
