“We unequivocally condemn the organization of a party with electronic music inside the historic Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Vukolos in Smyrna, which is used by the Turkish authorities as a place to host cultural events,” the Foreign Ministry says in a statement and calls on the Turkish government to take appropriate action to give the required respect.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the organization of a party constitutes an insult and desecration of a historical monument”.

Reconciliation in detail

“We unequivocally condemn the organization of a party with electronic music inside the historic Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Vukolos in Smyrna, which is used by the Turkish authorities as a venue for cultural events.

The organization of the party constitutes an insult and desecration of a historical monument which in the past was a place of religious worship.

We call on the Turkish government to do what is necessary to give due respect to the cultural, historical and religious heritage of all religions in its territory.”