Good Party spokesperson fans flames in Sumela Monastery ceremony debate

The controversy over an annual religious ceremony held at the Sumela Monastery in Northern Turkey has been fueled on Monday by statements from Kursad Zorlu, the spokesperson of the Good Party, who called for the cancellation of the ceremony due to its perceived overlap with the historical milestone of the conquest of Trabzon, a city near the monastery.

The debate centers around the annual religious ceremony held at the Sumela Monastery on August 15th, which is recognized in Christian tradition as the day of the Assumption of Mary. Zorlu, in a press release, expressed concern over the simultaneous significance of the date being associated with the conquest of Trabzon. He argued that it is perceived as a day of sorrow by certain segments of the population who view it through the lens of Turkey's history.

"August 15, 1461, marks the conquest of Trabzon by Sultan Mehmet... While some view it as a day of mourning, it holds immense importance historically. We urge the authorized authorities to cancel the ceremony scheduled for August 15th, given the sensitive nature of the day," Zorlu said.

The controversy comes in the wake of the New Welfare Party's stance on the same issue, further fanning the flames of an already intense debate.

Dogan Bekin, a deputy from the New Welfare Party, had raised concerns about the ceremony at Sümela Monastery and alleged that holding the ceremony on the same day as the anniversary of Trabzon's conquest was “a calculated move to link the events and provoke sentiments.”