President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a surprise visit to Hagia Sophia site just days before the first Muslim prayers will be held at the Istanbul historic building since it was reconverted to a mosque last week. Erdogan today inspects the carpets to be placed in Hagia Sophia after he converted it into to a mosque…
Tag: Hagia Sophia
EU-Turkey relations «under strain»
«…On Turkey we had a long and interesting debate. At the end of it, I presented my conclusions, which were approved by the Council members. It is my conclusions that will conduct and drive my future actions as High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission » said the EU top diplomat Josep Borrel during the press-conference after the…
Borrell «regrets» Hagia Sophia transformation
«Hagia Sophia has a strong symbolic, historical and universal value. Turkey has developed a well-established tradition of cultural conservation as well as a recognised tradition of intellectual and cultural openness. The ruling by the Turkish Council of State to overturn one of modern Turkey’s landmark decisions and President Erdoğan‘s decision to place the monument under…
Orthodox cleric criticises Hagia Sophia Islamisation
Transformation of the Istanbul Hagia Sophia historic monument from a museum to a mosque would be “unacceptable”, a senior official in the Russian Orthodox Church said on July 4. Russian Orthodox Church says 'unacceptable' to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque: Ifax https://t.co/ioR8xFkwga pic.twitter.com/Pk7ptmw7Pt — Reuters (@Reuters) July 4, 2020 President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed…
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