Greece: Turkey's intention to turn Sophia into a mosque petty and senseless
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. Photo: orthodoxtimes
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Turkey’s intentions to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque are petty and senseless, reports “Orthodox Times”.
According to the Greek Foreign Minister, the issue of Hagia Sophia is not a Greek-Turkish issue as “Hagia Sophia belongs neither to the Greeks nor to the Turks but is a world heritage monument, the ark of Christianity and Orthodoxy”.
Nikos Dendias also described Hagia Sophia as “the ark of the human spirit and its conquests” and added that “it is a huge benefit for Turkey that this monument is on its territory”. Therefore, the minister described the intention to turn it into a Muslim mosque as “petty and senseless”.
“By converting Hagia Sophia into a monument, Kemal Atatürk wanted to bring Turkey closer to the Western world, serving the country’s well-intended interests,” said Nikos Dendias while adding that “Turkey’s interests are being served in the same way today”.
He recommended that the neighboring country “should maintain the current status of this major work of architecture, this incredible church”.
As reported earlier, on July 2, 2020, the Turkish court will decide on the status of Hagia Sophia.
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