A man holding dual Greek and Australian citizenship is among two tourists arrested in Istanbul after allegedly unfurling a flag inside Hagia Sophia on Orthodox Holy Thursday.
According to Turkish media reports, the pair – a woman travelling on a Greek passport and the Greek-Australian man – entered the site as part of an organised tour group before heading to the upper level, which is open to visitors.
Security footage reportedly showed one individual displaying a blue flag with a white cross, resembling a version of the Greek flag, alongside the Byzantine double-headed eagle and the phrase “Orthodoxy or Death,” posing for a photograph before passing it to another member of the group.
Authorities said security staff quickly intervened after spotting the incident via surveillance, preventing it from escalating further, while another person in the group was reportedly preparing to display the same flag.
The two tourists were later referred to a court in Istanbul, which ordered their arrest on a charge described as insulting a segment of the public.
The incident is considered particularly sensitive due to the historical and religious significance of Hagia Sophia, which stood at the centre of Eastern Christianity from 537 until 1453 and remains a powerful symbol of the Greek Orthodox world following its conversion into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest.
