Turkey’s president on Sunday underlined that the Hagia Sophia’s status is an internal matter, urging other countries to respect the final decision of the country.
“HAGIA SOPHIA IS TURKEY’S INTERNAL AFFAIR”
“The final decision-maker on the status of the Hagia Sophia is the Turkish nation, not others. This is our internal affair,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Istanbul-based journal Kriter.
Erdoğan stressed that other countries should respect Turkey’s decision, adding that the conversion of the iconic landmark from a mosque to a museum in 1934 was “a painful decision for our nation.”
On Friday, a top Turkish court annulled a 1934 cabinet decree, which had turned Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a museum. This verdict by the country’s Council of State paved the way for its use again as a mosque after 85 years.
It ruled that the architectural gem had been owned by a foundation established by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, the conqueror of Istanbul, and presented to the community as a mosque — a status that cannot be legally changed.