WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2381/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Conversion of a Christian church into a mosque in Trabzon (Turkey)
Date: 1997-07-10
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: Christianity, Islam, Türkiye, church, cultural heritage, heritage protection, museum, religious discrimination, religious group, religious institution

C 76/104

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 3. 98

The measures in question do not respect the conditions set by Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 950/97 as regards
aid rates, maximum investment volumes and sectoral restrictions.

These facts were pointed out to the Region of Sicily in letters from the Commission of 15 March and 30 April
1996 and the regional authorities were asked to notify the Commission whether they intended to amend or repeal
the legislation in question so as to resolve the problems of conformity.  The region has however never expressed
any intention of adjusting the provisions in question in line with the Commission’s observations, which were
repeated at a meeting with the Sicilian authorities in Brussels on 11 October.

Accordingly the problems of conformity with Regulation (EC) No 950/97 remain and prevent the Commission
from taking a decision under Article 30 of that Regulation.

The Commission has never authorized similar aids for Greece that fall within the field of application of Article
12(4) of Regulation (EC) No 950/97.

(1)  OJ L 142, 2.6.1997.

(98/C 76/205)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2381/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(10 July 1997)

Subject: Conversion of a Christian church into a mosque in Trabzon (Turkey)

According to reports in the Trabzon local press, the Turkish Ministry of Culture has ordered the church of Santa
Sofia  to  be  cleared  in  order  to  turn  it  into  a  mosque.  Since  1964,  the  church  has  been  a  museum  housing
archeological remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

Is the Commission aware of this development and what steps will it take to oppose a move which has once again
shown Turkey(cid:146)s disregard for the cultural treasures of other peoples and the religious symbols of Christianity?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 1997)

The  Commission  has  been  informed  that  the  Turkish  authorities  have  revoked  their  decision  to  convert  the
church in question following the investiture of the new government led by Zehranur Yilmaz.

(98/C 76/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2382/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(10 July 1997)

Subject: Population decline in the European Union and incentives by the Commission

A number of EU countries are currently experiencing a marked decline in their population, a situation that is
particularly worrying in Greece, where the population pyramid has been completely inverted. Given that the
existence of an ageing population has a direct bearing on the security and integrity of each country and that at
present the EU does not seem very inclined to make it clear that any threat or attack against the territory of one
Member State will produce an immediate response from the others, it is clear that each individual country must
take sole responsibility for its own survival, and this depends directly on an increase in birth rates.