Erdogan Calls Criticism Of The Hagia Sophia Harassment Against Turks And Muslims

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JAKARTA - One day after the first Friday prayer service at Hagia Sophia, Greece, they still expressed their protest. Greece says Turkey's move to turn the Hagia Sophia into a mosque is an insult to the 21st civilization.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded directly to this statement. He called all criticism aimed at changing the status of the Hagia Sophia to a mosque as a form of hatred against Turks and Muslims.

"We see that the target of the noise-making countries in recent days is not the Hagia Sophia or the eastern Mediterranean. (Their target) is the self-sovereignty of the Turks and Muslims in the region," said Erdogan, who appeared to be at the first Friday prayers. Monday, July 27th.

Earlier, a Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman said Greece had once again shown its hostility towards Turkey over its reaction to the Hagia Sophia which was recently opened for Muslim worship. Shortly afterward Turkish extremists burned the Turkish flag in the city of Thessaloniki.

The Greek government also said that the whole world was very stunned by Turkish fanatical and nationalist babbles recently. "The international community of the 21st century is stunned to observe the babble of religious fanatics and Turkish nationalists today."

Historically, the Hagia Sophia was an important place of worship for Orthodox Christians for centuries, until Istanbul - later known as Constantinople - fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Since then, the Hagia Sophia was built into a mosque. Then, after the presence of the Republic of Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the status of Hagia Spohia was changed to a museum in 1934.