Displaying items by tag: hagia sophia

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Turkey cannot hope to have its European prospects open when it failed to respect monuments such as Hagia Sophia.

"Hagia Sophia is of extreme importance. We urge the government of Turkey to maintain its status in a manner that would respect its complex history," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

"We condemn the Koran reading and holding of prayers in Hagia Sophia, which was attended by the head of Turkey's Directorate for Religious Affairs and broadcast by Turkey's state television channel.