Video: Turkish Singer Performs on the Altar of Ani's Saint Mary Church

A video has surfaced online showing Turkish singer Aslı Hüney standing on the altar of Ani's Saint Mary Catholic Church, singing a Turkish pop song. The audience below the altar joins her in singing and applauding. This is reported by ermenihaber.am.

Among the applauding and singing crowd was also Perwin Ersoy, the wife of Turkey's Minister of Tourism and member of the ruling Justice and Development Party, Mehmet Ersoy. The source mentions that the minister's wife's 'ugly act,' which may be seen as an expression of cultural vandalism, has drawn strong criticism from some opposition figures.

Barış Yarkadaş, a member of the Republican People's Party and former MP, condemned the tourism minister's wife's behavior not only for disrespecting the Armenian church but also for enjoying herself while reports were already coming in about numerous casualties in Van due to an avalanche. The source also notes that Perwin Ersoy not only did not apologize or express regret for her actions but also stated that she merely wanted to test the church's acoustics.