The Greek cemetery adjacent to the Church of Saint Barbara on the island of Imbros, dating back to the 18th century, faces imminent conversion into a hotel development site.

This historic burial ground remains actively used by the local Greek community, who visit to light candles in remembrance of their ancestors.

The issue was made public by Uzay Bulut with a post on her X account.

The planned transformation has sparked outrage and is viewed as a profound desecration of sacred heritage.

Metropolitan Kyrillos Sykis of Imbros and Tenedos issued a strong statement condemning the move as “an act of disrespect.”

He emphasized the community’s desire to live in peace while demanding respect for religious sites.

Specifically, he called for the immediate cancellation of the leasing process, suspension of ongoing construction, prohibition of any new building in the cemetery area, and protection of existing olive trees from being cut down.

This controversy highlights deeper historical tensions. Under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, Imbros and Tenedos were to maintain a form of Greek autonomous administration.

However, successive Turkish governments failed to honor this provision.

Instead, they pursued policies of systematic persecution against the indigenous Greek population through both violent and administrative pressures, resulting in forced migration and demographic replacement.

Many describe these actions as ethnic cleansing.

Consequently, the islands, once predominantly Greek, have been largely resettled by Turkish migrants from the mainland.

Only a small, mostly elderly Greek community persists, striving to maintain its cultural and religious traditions amid ongoing challenges.

The cemetery dispute underscores continuing threats to their ancestral legacy.