Greek tourists detained in Istanbul for displaying Byzantine flag at Aya Sofia

Two Greek tourists were detained by Turkish law enforcement authorities after attempting to unfurl a flag depicting the Byzantine double-headed eagle inside the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul. The incident, which occurred during an organized tour, led to immediate security intervention and subsequent legal action.

According to the information resource Orthodoxia.info, the incident was recorded on the afternoon of Holy Thursday. The incident involved a woman and a man who reportedly also holds Australian citizenship. After passing the standard entrance control, the tourists went up to the upper gallery of the monument, where they took out the flag hidden under their clothes in order to conduct a photo shoot.

The actions of the visitors, accompanied by shouting slogans, were promptly detected by security personnel using video surveillance cameras. The security service immediately stopped the action, preventing the further display of symbols, and handed the perpetrators over to the Turkish authorities. The detainees have now been brought to court, where they face serious charges of public insult. This incident caused a wide resonance, given the special status of the cultural heritage site.

Recall, earlier we reported that the head of the Church of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew called for friendship between Greece and Turkey for the sake of peace in the Mediterranean region. Bartholomew called Greeks and Turks «friendly nations,» noting the efforts of the Turkish and Greek governments in this direction. The head of the Phanar believes that both sides will benefit from such friendship.