Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia Museum, according to the Turkish daily Hurriyet, sigmalive reports.
“Both prayer and the verse of the Conquest from the Quran can be read inside Hagia Sophia. Our nation must decide on this. Hagia Sophia can continue to receive tourists as a mosque. Like the Blue Mosque. Special sensitivity is required in this matter. Do some research on Hagia Sophia, look at it and we will talk about it,” the Turkish president allegedly said to his party’s Central Committee on Wednesday, although he stressed that “there is no need to rush, first we have to explore the matter.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Hurriyet, proposed that Hagia Sophia be officially designated a mosque, but at the same time retain the status of a museum, so that it can be visited by tourists, like the Blue Mosque opposite Hagia Sophia, which was turned into a museum in 1934.
In a second article, signed by the well-known journalist for his presidential sources, Abdulkadir Selvi, “Hurriyet” confirms that Erdogan is “warmly” approaching the operation of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.