The Greek Foreign Ministry condemned the desecration of the Greek Orthodox Cemetery of Agios Eleftherios in Istanbul, calling on Turkish authorities to take appropriate measures against the egregious vandalism.
The ministry declared the attack on the cemetery located in the Kurtulus district “insults the memory and history of the Greek minority in Turkey.”
“We call on the Turkish authorities to do the right thing against this heinous act,” the statement added.
Announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the desecration of the Greek Orthodox Cemetery of Saint Eleftherios in the Tatavla community in Istanbul
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) August 24, 2024https://t.co/dUNLGbfT4Y
Staff at Agios Eleftherios Cemetery noticed the barbed wire bordering the burial ground had been cut, headstones had been desecrated, holes had been dug and the site’s guard dogs had been sedated.
Police later recorded the damage of the crime and collected evidence.
“This attack has been assessed as a move against our religious values. We have complete confidence that the police forces will bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible,” the community’s board of trustees noted.
The crime occurred on the same day as the Divine Liturgy at the former Orthodox Christian Panagia Soumela Monastery.
Source: Ekathimerini.
