Turkey

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently expressed his disapproval over Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque last week, along with fellow political and world leaders who expressed similar sentiments. Secretary Pompeo went on...

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Greek Orthodox Elpidophoros and Catholic Cardinal, Timothy Dolan, deeply deplored Turkey's decision last Friday to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Both churchmen joined together to express their indignation at the events of...

Italian and Israeli groups protested on Monday the decision by Turkey to turn the Hagia Sophia museum to a mosque. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Turkish consulate in Milan to express their dismay at the Turkish decision. Led by...

The European Union's foreign affairs leader Josep Borrell stated that the EU flatly "condemned the Turkish decision to convert such an emblematic monument as the Hagia Sophia," after Monday's meeting of all 27 foreign ministers of the nations belonging...

Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s Nobel prize-winning author, has criticized the Turkish government’s decision to convert Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia into a mosque. “There are millions of secular Turks like me who are crying against this but their voices are not heard,”...

Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden expressed his "deep regret" over the decision by Turkey to turn Hagia Sophia to a mosque on Friday. Antony Blinken, Foreign policy adviser to Biden tweeted the statement: "The Hagia Sophia is an architectural marvel...

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that after completing all preparations, Hagia Sophia will open for worship on July 24. In an address to the nation, Erdogan stressed that Hagia Sophia's doors will be open for Turks, foreigners,...

Congressman Gus Bilirakis, the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on International Religious Freedom, on Friday condemned the decision by Turkey's President Erdogan to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. "In a clear demonstration of arrogance and inhumanity, Erdogan has turned...

Minutes after President Erdogan signed the decree turning Hagia Sophia into a Mosque, a crowd of Muslims gathered for a prayer at the UNESCO cultural site. Turkey’s administrative court annulled a 1934-dated decision that paved the way for the use...

  Two Turkish officials stated on Thursday that it is likely that a Turkish court will give its approval for the reconversion of the former Byzantine cathedral Hagia Sofia back into a mosque, as had been done after the Ottoman...