Turkey takes Phanar Head’s words about Hagia Sophia as a threat to Muslims

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Photo: romfea.gr

Ismet Buyukataman, Secretary General of Turkey’s National Action Party, believes that statements by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople about the authorities' intention to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque can be seen as a “preliminary announcement” of attacks on Muslims.

“We would advise Bartholomew to express regret for all these Muslim works that were destroyed in many parts of the world, especially in Greece. He warns of the West’s planned attacks on Islam and Muslims,” said the Secretary General of the National Action Party on his Twitter.

According to the Turkish politician, the Head of Phanar made a mistake when he said that the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque would turn millions of Christians against Muslims.

“The claim that millions of Christians in the world will be disappointed is beyond his authority,” the Turkish politician wrote on hisTwitter.

Ismet Buyukataman considers the position of the Patriarch of Constantinople inconsistent.

“Since Bartholomew cannot say ‘Hagia Sophia should be turned into a church’, he says instead, ‘Hagia Sophia has served Christians for 900 years, while Muslims for 500 years, so it should remain a museum’. In addition to making a mathematical error, he makes a significant logical error,” he said in another publication on his Twitter.

Earlier, the Head of Phanar said that Hagia Sophia is a place and symbol of encounter and solidarity between Christianity and Islam. According to him, "the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will disappoint millions of Christians around the world, and Hagia Sophia, which, due to its sacredness, is a vital center where East is embraced with the West, will fracture these two worlds."

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