A group of young thugs, probably from the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), vandalized an Orthodox church in Istanbul. Although they have been informed of what happened, the police refuse to take action.
The vandalism took place on Sunday, March 23. The church, Agia Paraskevi, is located in Kazlıçeşme, just outside the ancient Byzantine walls of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The church is famous for its spring, which is considered sacred in Eastern Byzantine tradition.
Church servant Athanasios Ozkaremihologlu said that a group of young men forced their way in through the front door of the church. After wreaking havoc in the church, the young men took several items and the church bell from the historic church. The sexton took refuge in a nearby police station. But the police officers on duty at the time refused to intervene, saying it would only make the situation worse. The deplorable destruction of the church happened a week before the local elections on Sunday, which coincide with the celebration of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, which falls on the first day of spring and is celebrated across the region.
Before leaving the church, the vandals put up two HDP flags. The party has many Kurdish members. According to some sources, this kind of incident is nothing new. Provocations are common in the run-up to an election. Turkish voters are preparing to cast their ballots next Sunday in an election that will decide the fate of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has ruled the country since 2002.
Upon learning of the incident, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his sorrow and anger and pushed for the police to investigate what happened.
Source: AsiaNews
