Doc. 9349

1 February 2002

Restitution of the Saint Sophie Cathedral back to Christianity

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Corneliu Vadim Tudor and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       In May 2003, 550 years will have passed since the occupation of the most glorious Christian city – Constantinople – by the Ottoman Empire. Its priceless jewel, the cathedral Saint Sophie, was also occupied and the massacre that occurred at that time grieved humanity for generations.

2.       As it is well known, Saint Sophie has been turned into a museum, despite the intention of his founder, Emperor Justinian, to create a centre of the Christian world. We have today the opportunity to make from this cathedral a thesaurus of Europe.

3.       The natural tendency of people, nations and humanity as a whole is an eternal return to the roots, to the lost paradise, to the golden age. More than that, we are witnessing nowadays the symbolic reconstruction, in a spiritual dimension, of the Roman Empire.

4.       The Assembly expresses its appreciation to Turkey for having conserved this cathedral for more than a half a millennium and considers that Turkey has now the opportunity to show its spirit of tolerance.

5.       The Assembly calls on the authorities of Turkey to return the Saint Sophie cathedral to Christianity, where traditional religious services should be held. The cathedral could have the same status as the Holy Grave of Jerusalem. This restitution should not be considered as a measure against Islam, but it stands as a natural historic correction for the Christian world.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : 1

Tudor, Romania, EDG

Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD

Arzilli, San Marino, EPP/CD

Čekuolis, Lithuania, LDR

Chapman, United Kingdom, EDG

Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR

Dromberg, Finland, EDG

Hooper, United Kingdom, EDG

Ilaşcu, Romania, EDG

Kanelli, Greece, UEL

Kvakkestad, Norway, EDG

Libicki, Poland, EDG

Margelov, Russia, EDG

Mauro, Italy, EPP/CD

Monsen, Norway, EDG

Olteanu, Romania, SOC

Paoletti Tangheroni, Italy, EPP/CD

Pavlidis, Greece, EPP/CD

Pleshakov, Russia, EDG

Popescu, Ukraine, SOC

de Puig, Spain, SOC

Rogozin, Russia, EDG

Rustamyan, Armenia, SOC

Schreiner, France, EDG

Theodorou, Cyprus, SOC

Tevdoradze, Georgia, EDG

Tirelli, Italy, LDR

1        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group