Annual ritual at Sümela Monastery sparks debate

TRABZON

An annual ritual held on every Aug. 15 in the Sümela Monastery in the northern province of Trabzon has stirred controversy this year as some political parties requested its postponement, saying that the date coincides with the newly determined conquest day of the city.

For the past nine years, an Orthodox Christian ceremony has taken place on Aug. 15 at the Sümela Monastery, commemorating the "Assumption of Mary." The ritual was first held in 2010 after an 88-year hiatus. However, this year several parties called for the cancellation of the ritual as the date of the Ottoman conquest of the northern city is at the center of the debate.

The date of the conquest, which had been celebrated on Oct. 26 for years, was revealed to be Aug. 15 after comprehensive research by a commission of historians.

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II took Trabzon from the Empire of Trebizond in 1461. Since the empire was one of the successors of the Byzantine Empire, some political parties voiced over their opposition for “keeping foreign traditions alive on the day Trabzon was captured by the Turks.”

Kürşad Zorlu, the spokesperson for the İYİ (Good) Party, noted that the ceremony should be immediately canceled or the service should be rescheduled, adding that “some anti-Türkiye groups see the date of conquest as a day of mourning.”

Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the Victory Party, noted that holding the ceremony on the anniversary of Trabzon's conquest was "intentional and meaningful."

Amid ongoing debates, Patriarch Bartholomew on Aug. 14 arrived in Trabzon to lead the service. More than 100 people from Orthodox clergy and visitors from Russia, Greece and Georgia are expected to attend the ceremony.