Each grant holder, located in South and Central-Eastern Europe, will explore and reflect on one or more of the conference’s key panel topics, examining issues of polarisation from the perspective of their unique backgrounds and regional insights.
The article below is written by guest author Ekin Berk Polat, emerging museum professional and independent researcher, Türkiye. The words and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
Turkey’s museums struggle amid political polarization and culture wars
The Dimensions of Polarization in Turkey 2020 Survey reveals the current state of political intolerance, otherization, and a sense of moral superiority among supporters of different political parties. Many express discomfort about having supporters of opposing ideologies as neighbors, business partners, or family members. While museums worldwide endeavor to tackle social injustices, confront past atrocities, and bridge divides, Turkey’s museums are at the center of heated debates and are further instrumentalized by Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to exacerbate political polarization.
In 2020, the reconversion of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque reignited deep-rooted grievances between the secular and religious segments of Turkish society. Originally built as a cathedral in 537 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque by Mehmed II following the Ottoman Conquest of Constantinople. It was transformed into a museum in 1935 under President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, reflecting the ideals of the newly established secular and modern Turkish Republic. The museum was regarded as a symbol of peaceful multifaith and multicultural coexistence; however, its reconversion sparked both local and international controversy. Organizations such as UNESCO, ICOM, and ICOMOS voiced concerns about preserving Hagia Sophia's role as a space for dialogue and education, as well as safeguarding its Outstanding Universal Value as a World Heritage Site.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the deepening economic crisis before the elections, the decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia was influenced by Erdoğan’s Islamic populist rhetoric aimed at consolidating his religious voter base. For many, this shift was seen as a response to the perceived oppression faced by religious segments under Kemalist elites, whose top-down modernization efforts had long erased Ottoman culture and religious values following the establishment of the secular republic. Hagia Sophia became a powerful symbol of this divergence, and its transformation from a museum into a mosque provided an opportunity to challenge the legacies of both Atatürk and the Republican People’s Party (CHP)—founded by Atatürk himself—whose principles of secularism had long defined Turkish politics.