ملف ١٩١٦/٣٥٧٩ "تركيا: مستقبل القسطنطينية" [و‎‎١‎٠] (٥٣٠/٢٨)

ST. SOPHIA’S, CONSTANTINOPLE.
63. Sir J. D. REES asked the Prime
Minister whether any responsibility rests
upon the British Government or upon the
Governments of the Allied nations for the
character or denomination of the religious
services held or to be held in the church
of St. Sophia, at Constantinople 1
Mr. HARM3WORTH: As regards the
services at present held in St. Sophia, the
answer is in the negative. Whether any
responsibility will rest on His Majesty’s
Government or the Allied Governments,
or any one of them, after the conclusion
of peace is a question that remains to be
determined.
64. Colonel WEDGWOOD asked the
Prime Minister whether he can give any
information as to the proposals made for
the future of St. Sophia’s Church in Con
stantinople; whether it is to be handed
over for the exclusive use or control by
any sectional or national Christian com
munity ; and whether, in the event of its
'being no longer under Mahomedan con
trol, it will be placed in trust for
Christendom as a whole and not for any
particular Church or creed 1
Mr. MARMSWORTH: My hon. and
gallant Friend was invited by the Foreign
Office not to put his question, on the
ground that the public ventilation of the
matter at the present stage can be
attended with no advantage. I can give
no information as to proposals for theh
’ future of the building in question, since
all such proposals are addressed to the-
Peace Conference at Paris, with whom the
solution will lie.
Colonel WEDGWOOD: Are we to
understand that the Foreign Office realises
that we are the principal protectors of the tr
Mahomedan religion in the world; and //
are we to understand that the Foreign —
Office is looking after their interests and l QI
seeing that no unnecessary outrage is done
to their feelings in the matter 1
Lieutenant-Colonel W. GUINNESS:
Does the Foreign Office also, realise that
the Moslem community in Constantinople
is more than double that of the Greek
community 1