Ultra-nationalists are planning to conquer Asia Minor, all over again. Tomorrow, on October 1st, MHP, their major political organization is planning a Friday prayer session in Holy Virgin Cathedral at Ani, a sacred and antique settlement in what used to be Western Armenia. They claim 5000 people will join.
In the last couple months, Turkish state, dormant about the Christian heritage in Turkey, allowed two Eastern Orthodox masses to take place in Sumela Monastry near Trabizond and Holy Cross Church at Akhtamar Island in the Lake of Van. It looks like these two events have flamed a nationalist uproar in the country.
Today, two head figures of MHP, namely the leader Bahçeli and Kars Office Chief O. Akbas declared that “Anatolia (Asia Minor) will experience a new conquest by Muslim Turks against renewed desires for a Pontian Greek State and a western Armenia” in the lands that is Turkey now.
Tomorrow, upon obtaining the permits from local authorities, the followers of MHP are planned to pray together at Holy Virgin Cathedral at Ani near Kars. A wave of protests are expected from countries like Armenia and Greece. It’s a muslim custom to convert churches into mosques. There are a lot of examples of churches-turned-mosques all over Istanbul and elsewhere in Asia Minor.
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