Greece protests to Turkey over DJ performance at Sumela monastery
Greece's foreign ministry said on Monday that footage showing people dancing to electronic music played by a DJ at the former Orthodox Christian Sumela monastery in Turkey were "offensive" and "a desecration" of the monument.
The ministry called on Turkish authorities "to do their utmost to prevent such acts from being repeated" and to respect the site, a candidate for Unesco's list of world heritage sites.
"The recent images that were displayed on social media, in which a foreign band seems to be dancing disco in the area of the historical monastery of Panagia Soumela, are a desecration of this monument," it said.
A video released on social media showed a DJ performing in the courtyard of the cliffside ruins.
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Euronews reported that the makers of the video clip had defended their decision, arguing the footage was shot in order to promote Sumela as a tourist attraction and that Turkish authorities had granted permission for the event.
Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment, Reuters reported.
Founded in the 4th century, Sumela is a monastic complex built into a sheer cliff above the Black Sea forest in the Trabzon Province of eastern Turkey.
It was long ago stripped of its official religious status and operates as a museum administered by the Culture Ministry in Turkey.
Thousands of tourists and Orthodox Christian worshippers journey to the monastery annually.
Range of disagreements
In 2010, Turkish authorities allowed the first Orthodox liturgy since ethnic Greeks were expelled in 1923 as part of a population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
The Sumela monastery was shut for restoration in 2015 and reopened to tourists in 2019.
A liturgy to mark the Feast Day of the Virgin Mary was allowed in 2020 and 2021.
"It is surprising that the permit was given to the band, as the Monastery of Panagia Soumela opens only for pilgrims," the Greek foreign ministry said.
"These images are offensive and add to a series of actions by the Turkish authorities against world heritage sites," its statement said, without elaborating.
Greece and Turkey disagree on a range of issues from airspace to maritime zones in the eastern Mediterranean and the division of Cyprus.
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