EU condemns Turkish decision to convert Hagia Sophia back to mosque
EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on July 13, 2020. Foreign ministers of the European Union on Monday condemned the Turkish decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia back to a mosque, saying that "will inevitably fuel mistrust, promote renewed divisions between religious communities and undermine efforts at dialogue and cooperation." (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)
BRUSSELS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of the European Union on Monday condemned the Turkish decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia back to a mosque, saying that "will inevitably fuel mistrust, promote renewed divisions between religious communities and undermine efforts at dialogue and cooperation."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday denounced rising criticism over Ankara's intention to convert the Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque, claiming that "The accusations against our country on the Hagia Sophia mean a direct attack on our sovereignty rights."
"We will continue to protect the rights of Muslims, the dominant faith in our country, and those of other religions," Erdogan said Friday in Istanbul.
Monday's meeting was the first physical get-together of EU foreign ministers since the coronavirus pandemic. Turkey topped the agenda of the 27-member bloc, which reached "a consensus among member states that EU-Turkey relations were currently under strain because of worrying developments affecting the EU's interests."
The EU foreign ministers also called for what they say is "illegal" and "unilateral" drilling by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean to stop and asked Turkey to contribute actively to a political solution in Libya and to respect the commitments it had taken, including the UN arms embargo.
Hagia Sophia is an iconic Byzantine church built in the 5th century. Throughout the centuries, the former Greek Orthodox Christian church had also served as a Roman Catholic cathedral and an Ottoman mosque as the city changed rulers. Since 1935, the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia has been open as a museum. It has been recognized by UNESCO as a monument of world cultural heritage since 1985.
On Friday, the Turkish State Council reached a verdict on the fate of the monument and Erdogan announced that the first Muslim prayer at the site will be held on July 24.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan discussed in a phone conversation developments in Syria and Libya, as well as the fate of Hagia Sophia, the Kremlin said.
The United States said on Friday that it was "disappointed" by the Turkish government's decision of changing the Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque.
Related articles
Austrian leader lauds UK's efforts on migration and cites its plan for deportations to Rwanda
VIENNA (AP) — Austria’s leader praised Britain Tuesday as a “pioneer” in outsourcing asylum proceedi2024-05-22US Senate passes funding package after missing deadline to avert partial gov't shutdown
The U.S. Senate approved a massive funding package early Saturday morning, about two hours after mis2024-05-22University Opens Course to Improve Parenting Skills
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-22Liubao Tea Industry Thriving in Wuzhou, S China
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-22Hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, are rescued from Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for2024-05-22Girl, 6, Acts as Translator for Her Deaf Parents Doing Foot Spa Business
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-22
atest comment