Greece preparing diplomatic push for EU to sanction Turkey over Hagia Sophia conversion

The Greek government is preparing a diplomatic push for the European Union to sanction Turkey as a first response to its decision of converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

According to Open TV, a diplomatic counterattack is being prepared starting with the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, and the first stop is the upcoming Summit.

At the same time, Greek diplomacy does not overlook the position that Ankara wants to send through this extreme challenge and the further course of Greek-Turkish relations. For this reason, at next week’s meetings, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has a clear message to all European Institutions, that “Athens will respond harshly.”

Meanwhile, the proposal of the Deputy Minister of Immigration Policy, George Koumoutsakos, for sanctions against Turkey, is gaining ground.

“Personally, I tell you that in the context of the discussion, we could say that the transit of Turkish trucks from Turkey to Europe, through Greece, could be stopped, at least until July 24,” he said in an interview.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking to a Turkish magazine, defended his decision and insisted that it was an internal Turkish affair.

In Athens, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, in a resounding speech, emphasized that “the instrumentalization of religion characterizes the one who attempts it.”

At the same time, at the European level, the reactions are escalating. The leader of the Italian Northern League, Matteo Salvini, has criticised the decision of the Turkish president: “Turkey, which some wanted to integrate into Europe, is turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It is confirmed that the pre-eminence of Islam is incompatible with the values ​​of democracy, freedom and tolerance of the West,” he said.

Meanwhile, both the US and Russian governments have found a complete disinterest in the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.