Hagia Sophia: Why Istanbul's 1500-yr-old crown jewel is Turkey's new political battlefield

Hagia Sophia, the 1500-year-old crown jewel of Istanbul is once again at the centre of national and international political debate, as it prepares to be a pawn once again in the nation's capital after fresh proposals by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threw the structure into the middle of geopolitical interests.

Hagia Sophia was once a church during the Byzantine empire, which was later converted to a mosque by the Ottoman leaders and it remained that for much of its history until reportedly eight decades ago when it was converted into a museum. The 6th-century construction having seen two religions over 1500 years owing to its conversions is mired in politics.

Read | Cyprus: EU partners aim to rein in Turkey's 'expansionism'

The museum's centuries-old history put it at a peculiar position where it drew tens of millions of visitors across all faiths and then again none at all because of President Erdogan's Justice and Development Party's decision to stir up a controversy triggering a divisive nationwide debate.

The Turkish president has repeatedly thrown his weight behind the largely (although not exclusively) Muslim population in the country after he rallied behind longstanding calls from his conservative and nationalist supporters to turn the building back into a mosque and restore it to its former glory.  In the past, in 2014 as he took office as the president of Turkey, he was criticised for openly stating that he would not maintain the tradition of presidential neutrality and that he would utilise his powers to make decisions on Cabinet selection, which is now incidentally largely from a single faith.

However, his latest decision has opened up a pandora box full of debates, old and new —  regarding the monument's identity, which community it belongs to and inadvertently the future of Hagia Sophia. 

Read | Turkey calls on EU to be 'honest' in dispute with members

On Thursday, July 2, the issue spilt over to the country's highest administrative court and the State Council were locked in a legal challenge with numerous Turkish organisations that have long campaigned for the annulment of Hagia Sophia's museum status. Although a decision is yet to be announced, president Erdogan has used the opportunity to buy into more votes by using it as a campaign platform and promising what experts and people from other faiths and communities believe to be fishing for voting banks.
In a survey conducted by Istanbul Economics Research, it was found that 47% of the public was in favour of turning the monument into a mosque, while 38% reported that it had to stay a museum for the collective benefit of society and harmony among its people.
The proposal has been heavily criticised by religious and political figures alike. US Secretary of State of Mike Pompeo, the Greek and Russian governments, as well as Turkey's orthodox Christian groups, have urged president Erdogan to consider keeping the building a museum.

Read | France-Turkey spat over Libya arms exposes NATO's limits

Psephologists believe this is so Erdogan could secure his power in the party and though 2023 elections is still a while away, Hagia Sophia could present as the perfect distraction – a lifeboat to sail through the current economic crisis brought by the COVID pandemic. President Erdogan for his part has blatantly slammed the criticism as an "attack on Turkey's sovereignty."

(With inputs from agencies)

Read | Turkey convicts rights activists of terror charges