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Turkish Media Accuse Greece of 'Excluding Ottoman Heritage from Acropolis'

Published January 23, 2026, 14:21
Turkish Media Accuse Greece of 'Excluding Ottoman Heritage from Acropolis'

Turkish media outlets are accusing Greece of almost exclusively promoting the ancient classical heritage through the new cultural routes around the Acropolis, while neglecting the Ottoman period of Athens. The article, published in Türkiye Today, criticizes the Greek cultural narrative as 'one-dimensional' and 'selective'. The criticism focuses on the undervalued presentation of Ottoman monuments, the change of use or closure of mosques, the inadequate maintenance of burial monuments, and the management of Ottoman artifacts. The article argues that Athens, despite its long Ottoman history, remains the only European capital without a functioning mosque. Specifically, the article states that the new interventions of the Ministry of Culture reinforce a hierarchy of history, where the Ottoman period is considered secondary or undesirable. This criticism appears to be linked to the broader Turkish narrative about the historical presence of the Ottoman Empire in Greece.