Faith unites: Turkish Jews extend help to restore mosque in Greece

The Turkish Jewish community has extended assistance towards the restoration of a mosque on the Greek island of Kos, which suffered damage in the 2017 earthquake alongside a synagogue.

During 2017, a significant number of locations on Kos Island experienced damage due to the earthquake's impact. Among these was the Mosque of Kos Island, also referred to as the Defterdar Mosque, which saw the collapse of its minaret and extensive structural harm.

Over the past six years, while the Defterdar Mosque remained in ruins, the Greek government undertook the restoration of the island's synagogue.

Representatives from the Turkish Jewish Community attended the inauguration ceremony of the renovated synagogue during their visit to the island.

Following their visit, they conveyed a message to Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, expressing their willingness to contribute to the mosque's repair.

On the X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), the Foundation of the Chief Rabbinate of Türkiye's Jewish Community expressed gratitude to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the synagogue's restoration. However, it also highlighted the continued state of disrepair of the mosque, conveying regret for its condition.

"Today, with joy, we have come to the beautiful island of Kos. We thank you for restoring the Kos Synagogue. Unfortunately, it saddens us to see that the Kos Mosque is still in this ruined state," the post added.

It was emphasised that the community is committed to rebuilding and reviving the Antakya Synagogue, which collapsed due to earthquakes on February 6th, situated in Türkiye's Hatay province.

The community conveyed a unifying message, underscoring their shared dedication to revitalising their beliefs:

“If you kindly give us -the Jewish Community of Türkiye- the permission to rebuild the Kos mosque too, we are volunteering for it under the supervision of the Greek authorities. Let's bring life to our faiths and honour the houses of our One and Only God.”

'Coexistence of all faiths is human ideal'

AK Party Spokesperson Omer Celik responded to the Turkish Jewish Community's message, expressing gratitude from Ankara. Celik commended the Jewish citizens for their sensitivity and stated:

"While fascist attacks on the Quran and all sacred books continue in various countries in Europe, our Jewish citizens have conveyed a very valuable and gentle message to the whole world and Europe, meaning respect for freedom of belief and values.”

“This sensitivity is a common value of our country. The coexistence of all faiths freely is a human ideal,” he concluded.