Fenerbahçe Mosque

Fenerbahçe Mosque is a mosque located in the Fenerbahçe neighborhood of Kadıköy district in Istanbul.

History

There was a mansion on the land where the mosque stands, which was previously used for residential purposes. In 1949 this mansion was purchased by a Greek citizen named Ernestuğ Vapurci. After Vapurci's death in 1971, the mansion was inherited by his brothers Fener Patriği Maksimos Vapurci and Yani Vapurci. After their deaths, the mansion passed to Kornilla Vapurci. Later, Kornilla Vapurci, by issuing an inheritance document, gave the mansion in 1982 to Stamatis Papamanolaki, a Turkish citizen of Greek origin whom he had adopted. Following this, the treasury filed a lawsuit before the Kadıköy 3rd Civil Court of First Instance for the annulment of the inheritance decree, based on the decision of the Council of Ministers issued in 1964 (a decision that prohibited Greeks from buying and selling property in Turkey). The court accepted this request and ordered the document to be annulled. Thus the mansion and the land became state property. In 1986 the mansion was demolished and Fenerbahçe Mosque was built in its place. In 2008 Papamanolaki filed a lawsuit before the Kadıköy 1st Civil Court of First Instance requesting registration of the property in his name. The Kadıköy 1st Civil Court found the application justified. However, the case was later transferred to the 3rd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation annulled the lower court's decision. The Kadıköy 1st Civil Court stated that the decision taken in 1964 had been changed by a Council of Ministers decision issued in 1988. Later, the case was transferred to the General Assembly of the Court of Cassation. The court, requesting an investigation of the case on the basis of reciprocity, overturned the decision. Official authorities learned that reciprocity existed between Turkey and Greece regarding acquisition of goods. In addition, the court decided to register the property title in favor of Papamanolaki. Papamanolaki also stated that the mosque was sacred and, by demanding the value of the property, he could also transfer the real estate to the treasury.