Armenian Apostolic Church condemns Ankara`s politically motivated  decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque

ArmInfo. In the Mother See of  Etchmiadzin, they regretfully accepted the decision of the Turkish  authorities to turn the Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul into  a mosque.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on July 10 to  change the status of Hagia Sophia, after the State Council decided to  turn the cathedral into a mosque.

The AAC's statement to ArmInfo also notes that contrary to calls from  various Christian organizations, church leaders and political  leaders, the Turkish government adopted a unilateral and  reprehensible decision, thereby violating the rights of national  religious minorities in Turkey.

"We regret that the appeals and concerns of millions of Christians  were ignored, and the Hagia Sophia was included in the UNESCO World  Heritage List.

The actions of the Turkish government evoke heavy memories of the  desecration and destruction by the Ottoman authorities over the  centuries of the sanctuaries of the Armenian people, as well as other  Christian peoples. The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian  people as people who survived the Genocide in Ottoman Turkey share  the pain and sadness of Orthodox brothers and sisters.

The AAC condemns the politically motivated decision of the Turkish  government, causing serious harm to the process of mutual  understanding and dialogue between religions, while at the same time  calling for its revision and a return to the principle of peaceful  prayer coexistence of various religious communities in Turkey.

During historical upheavals and political changes, Hagia Sophia, in  addition to its historical and cultural value, also acquired various  religious, cultural and political meanings, becoming a symbol of  cooperation and unity of mankind, rather than a clash of  civilizations, "the AAC said in a statement.  Earlier, the Armenian  Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the decision of the  Turkish authorities in the Council.

For the first time that the status of a museum can be revised,  Erdogan said in the spring of 2019, which, according to political  scientists, was a kind of response to the recognition of Jerusalem by  the capital of Israel from Washington.

And on July 10, in an appeal to the nation, Erdogan said that calls  to maintain the status of a museum behind the cathedral were  tantamount to demanding that the Vatican be turned into a museum and  closed for worship. He called on all parties to respect the decisions  made by the Turkish authorities, and said that the first general  prayer should be held in Hagia Sophia on July 24. "Hagia Sophia falls  under the sovereignty of Turkey," he said.

Shortly after this statement, a muezzin was heard from the cathedral,  which was broadcast on the air of all the main television channels in  Turkey.

On Friday, all accounts of the Hagia Sophia in social networks were  closed.  In his address, Erdogan said that the doors of the mosque  will still be open to everyone, and from now on, entry there will be  free. Erdogan, on Friday, also said that "the revival of Hagia Sophia  is a sign of the liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque," which is located  on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Many religious, political and  cultural figures have responded to the decision of the Turkish  authorities. The World Council of Churches urged Erdogan to reverse  this decision. The Russian Orthodox Church condemned this decision,  saying that the feelings of millions of Christians were ignored.   Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople noted that Hagia Sophia as a  museum is a place and a symbol of meeting, solidarity and  understanding between Christianity and Islam. Greece called this  decision an "open provocation."

Recall that in 1985 the museum building was included in the UNESCO  World Heritage List, but now, according to some experts, the question  may arise about the withdrawal of Hagia Sophia from this list due to  violations of storage conditions and access to unique Byzantine  mosaics, which are unlikely to be observed in the existing mosque.