Erdogan signs decree turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque
07/14/2020
The court ruled on Friday that the 1934 decree converting the ancient Byzantine cathedral into a museum was not lawful. Immediately after the ruling, Erdogan shared a copy of a decree on Twitter, mandating that the site be turned over to the country's religious directorate and reopened for worship.
Russia and
Greece, as well as the US, France, and others, have stated their opposition to
Hagia Sophia becoming a mosque. That Erdogan would move ahead with this anyway
shows that he is not worried about antagonizing either friend (Russia and
ostensibly the US) or foe (Greece). He appears to be much more concerned to
position himself as the defender and protector of Islam.