President Erdogan makes explanation about statements over Hagia Sophia

In his speech at the Levent mosque groundbreaking ceremony in Sisli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “the accusations against our country about Hagia Sophia mean an attack on our right to sovereignty directly”. He went on to say “Every mosque that rises in different geographies of the world with different architectural styles is a monument that cries out to the sky that its location is a Muslim home. Istanbul is one of the richest cities in the world with Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a Masjid after the conquest of Mehmet the Conqueror, and the selatin mosques, which were built in successive centuries”.

He said, “No one has the right or the right to interfere in our places of worship, just as we do not interfere in the places of worship that serve their own citizens in other countries of the world. Turkey is a country that offers the opportunity to worship its citizens of every religion, every faith and every constitutional age. Perhaps this will be the first time my countrymen, who are watching it right now, will hear it. Currently, 435 churches, synagogues and synagogues are open for worship in our country. We even supported the new churches that were raised by restoration, as in the case of the Iron Church in Balat in our country, and we made them from the government’s pocket.

The accusations against our country about Hagia Sophia mean a direct attack on our sovereign rights. However, we are going through a period where mosques and places of worship of people belonging to other religions are being attacked all over the world. Millions of people are subjected to every kind of pressure, including the attempt on their lives just because of their religious beliefs. This is the place to look at, to focus on, to take precautions. We will continue to protect the rights and laws of Muslims, the dominant faith group in our country, as well as those belonging to other religions. We see the new mosques we are building as contributions to the common civilization of humanity. “