EU calls Hagia Sophia's change in status to mosque a 'regrettable' decision

While the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia a mosque on July 10, the European Union expressed concern about changing the status of the UNESCO World Heritage site and reportedly called the decision ‘regrettable’.

Turkey’s top court revoked the 80-year-old museum’s status and paved a way for it to be converted back to a mosque. While Erdogan brushed aside international warnings against changing the status of the monument, countries including the US, Russia, and Greece criticised the recent top ruling. 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reportedly said that the ruling by the Turkish Council of State to overturn one of modern Turkey’s landmark decision and President’s decision to place the monument under the management of the religious Affairs Presidency is ‘regrettable’.

On the other hand, Greece’s culture ministry described the court decision as an ‘open provocation’ to the civilised world. According to an international media outlet, UNESCO also said that it ‘regretted’ that it was not notified ahead of time. 

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World leaders criticise Erdogan's move 

The Turkish President has sought to shift Islam into the mainstream of Turkish politics in his 17 years at the helm. While the UNESCO site was a focal point of both the Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires, critics believe that Erdogan’s move of turning the monument into a mosque as discriminatory and regressive. In recent years, Erdogan has also been criticised for brushing aside global concerns against the restoration of Hagia Sophia's mosque status.

Turkish Council of State, the country's top administrative court, in it's ruling noted that Hagia Sophia's settlement deed foregrounded it as a mosque and therefore, it's status as a museum was deemed illegal. Soon after the announcement, the Russian Orthodox Church reportedly expressed concerns over the decision stating that it could lead to even greater divisions. 

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The proposal has been heavily criticised by religious and political figures alike. From US Secretary of State of Mike Pompeo to Turkey's orthodox Christian groups, leaders around the globe have urged president Erdogan to consider keeping the building a museum.

Meanwhile, experts believe the Turkish president headed this cause purely to strengthen his position in the party and project himself as a stronger leader for the 2023 elections. Hagia Sophia could present as the perfect distraction and also mean to revive the hard-hit economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

(Image: @ApostateRidvan/Twitter) 

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