Sat 11 July 2020:
The Russian Orthodox Church on Friday expressed dismay at Turkey’s decision to revoke the museum status of the iconic Hagia Sophia, accusing it of ignoring millions of Christians.
“The concern of millions of Christians were not heard,” Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida told Interfax news agency after a top court revoked the sixth-century Byzantine church building’s status as a museum.
Hamas movement supports Hagia Sophia decision
Palestinian resistance group Hamas has welcomed the Turkish court verdict directing the opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.
“Opening of Hagia Sophia to prayer is a proud moment for all Muslims,” said Rafat Murra, head of international press office of Hamas, in a written statement.
Murra stressed that the decision created “sadness” in certain groups in the Arab world.
“We have never seen them worry about Masjid al-Aqsa. We have not seen them get sad when the Zionists attack Dome of the Rock. When the occupiers’ banned call to prayer in Al-Halil Masjid or Palestinian masjid. They did not care,” he said.
Murra said that the decision falls under Turkey’s sovereignty rights.
This move shows Turkey’s self-confidence, and its place in the international arena, he added.
I strongly denounce #Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. I urge Erdogan to reverse course and restore Hagia Sophia’s remarkable legacy as a museum for people of all faiths and cultures to visit. https://t.co/AUfDgGP9f4
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) July 10, 2020
UNESCO
UNESCO said its World Heritage Committee would review Hagia Sophia’s status, saying it was “regrettable that the Turkish decision was not the subject of dialog nor notification beforehand”.
“UNESCO calls on the Turkish authorities to open a dialog without delay in order to avoid a step back from the universal value of this exceptional heritage whose preservation will be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee in its next session,” the United Nation’s cultural body said in a statement.
The European Union
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the decision “regrettable”.
“The ruling by the Turkish Council of State to overturn one of modern Turkey’s landmark decisions and President Erdogan’s decision to place the monument under the management of the Religious Affairs Presidency is regrettable,” he said in a statement.
#HagiaSophia #ayasofia “To convert it back to a mosque is to say to the rest of the world unfortunately we are not secular anymore” – Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s Nobel prize-winning author tells BBC. pic.twitter.com/rKqOC5G5I3
— Orla Guerin (@OrlaGuerin) July 10, 2020
Church leaders
The Russian Orthodox Church expressed dismay at Turkey’s decision to revoke the museum status of Hagia Sophia, accusing it of ignoring voices of millions of Christians.
“The concern of millions of Christians has not been heard,” Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida said in comments carried by the Russian news agency Interfax.
“Today’s court ruling shows that all calls for the need for extreme delicacy in this matter were ignored,” Legoida said.
The Russian Orthodox Church previously urged caution over calls to alter the status of the historic former cathedral, and Russian Patriarch Kirill said he was “deeply concerned” about such a potential move and called it a “threat to the whole of Christian civilisation”.
Previously, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide and based in Istanbul, said converting it into a mosque would disappoint Christians and would “fracture” East and West.
Cyprus
Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, a Greek Cypriot, posted on his official Twitter account that Cyprus “strongly condemns Turkey’s actions on Hagia Sophia in its effort to distract domestic opinion and calls on Turkey to respect its international obligations”.
United States of America
“We are disappointed by the decision by the government of Turkey to change the status of the Hagia Sophia,” Morgan Ortagus, State Department spokesperson, said in a statement.
Greece
Greece branded Turkey’s move an “open provocation to the civilised world”.
“The nationalism displayed by Erdogan … takes his country back six centuries,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a statement.
Mendoni further said the court ruling “absolutely confirms that there is no independent justice” in Turkey.
Russia
Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian upper house of parliament, called the action “a mistake”.
“Turning it into a mosque will not do anything for the Muslim world. It does not bring nations together, but on the contrary brings them into collision,” he said.
Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised only by Turkey, is happy with the opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.
“Hagia Sophia has been Turkish, a mosque and a world heritage since 1453. The decision to use it as a mosque, at the same time to be visited as a museum, is sound and it is pleasing,” Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
