Pre-Islamic  Structure claimed as a mosque

…The Daily Sabah, owned by Ahmet Çalık, a close associate of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ran a new article with the title “Greece misuses Ottoman monuments in major blow to cultural heritage.”

In the article, the outlet claims that Greece is discriminating against its recognised Muslim minority, saying “the Turks living in Komotini had previously elected their own muftis (Muslim legal experts who have the authority to rule on local family and inheritance matters), the Greek state has started appointing its own mufti in the area under new protocols.”

An interesting point to criticise Greece about, considering the Turkish government itself also appoints its own muftis. So Daily Sabah is effectively criticising Greece for what Turkey itself does in organising the Muslim community.

“Religion is not the only sphere targeted by the state, according to the Turks of Western Thrace, who say their schools are being shut down, damaging their efforts to protect their identity. Sixty-five Turkish-language schools have been closed down in the past eight years, with the latest closure occurring in the village of Kalamokastro,” the article said. Although it is true that 65 Turkish-language schools have been closed down in the past eight years, the outlet of course does not explain in detail why this is, and rather alludes that it is part of systematic racism by the Greek state…

Continuing the attack, Daily Sabah then says that “The Fethiye Mosque in Athens, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1458, is currently being used as an exhibition hall,” while forgetting that on the original site of the mosque was a Byzantine Church that was converted into a mosque, then demolished to build the Fethiye Mosque. The article also mentions how the famous Tzistarakis Mosque in Monastiraki today is a ceramics museum, but not how the Turks built it by destroying and using ancient columns from Hadrian’s library that was constructed in 132 AD.