The Turkish president, Erdogan, celebrated as a “Second Conqueror” with somewhat threatening and controversial words on January 30.
Newsroom (21/02/2023 11:00 AM, Gaudium Press) — After the terrible earthquake of February 6th, the situation that Turkey and Syria is really sad. Indeed, the first earthquake of magnitude 7.8 took place at 4:17 am local time, and the second occurred almost nine hours later, with magnitude 7.7. Doublets are not so unusual, but this one seems unprecedented, especially due to the numerous aftershocks of tremors – more than thirty.
As the number of victims continues to shock, it is very timely to continue praying for the victims of the recent earthquake, engulfed in so much suffering.
‘Hagia Sofia, wonderful temple…’
There are two other facts that also occurred in Turkey that deserve our attention. On July 24, 2020, at the express wish of Erdogan, Turkish President, the famous and historic Hagia Sophia, long belonging to Christians, was converted into a mosque. The move was seen by many – including by the pope – as an open act of discrimination against Christians in Turkey.
Moreover, on January 30, at an event in the Turkish capital, Erdogan again used words that reeked of hostility towards Christians. The Turkish President was jubilant as he recalled the events on July 24, 2020: “Hagia Sofia, wonderful temple! Don’t worry, the grandsons of Mahoma the Conqueror will knock down all the idols and turn you back into a mosque…this will happen, the days are close, perhaps closer than tomorrow…”
Now, whoever speaks of “conqueror”, speaks of conquest; who speaks of conquest, speaks of war; who speaks of war, speaks of enemies.
So far, more than 40,000 people have died and 82,000 people have been injured, with Turkey hit hardest. As reported by the Bishop of Aleppo, Mons. Antoine Audo, “the situation is apocalyptic”. At this point, observers bring to memory another great earthquake that occurred in Antioch in the year 528. At the time, Christians wrote phrases like these on the walls of houses: “Iesus nobiscum et nemo loco moveatur” and “Christus nobiscum, state”. From Latin: “Jesus is with us: no one will move” and “Christ is with us, stand still”.
At this point we may wonder: who does Erdogan regard as enemies? Perhaps those who once guarded Hagia Sophia with so much affection, sanctified it with their prayers, adorned it with pious images?
It is not clear. But if the answer is affirmative, we can ask ourselves if the epicenter of last week’s earthquake was close to Gaziantep, as geologists claim, or rather, if it took place, earlier in Hagia Sophia, on July 24, 2020. Who will know? Only God.
That same tomorrow, which Erdogan seems to have spoken about, may reveal it.
Compiled by Donna Smolders