The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been highly controversial.

Turkish President Erdogan made the decision, which has been seen as a move to appeal to his conservative base and promote a neo-Ottoman ideology.

The conversion has been criticized by the Greek Orthodox Church, UNESCO, and other organizations due to concerns over cultural heritage and religious freedom.

The Turkish government defended its decision as a matter of national sovereignty, with the site remaining open to visitors.

The conversion has sparked concerns over preserving the site's historic mosaics and artwork, which are forbidden in mosques.

The Turkish government has introduced measures, including separate entrances and earphones, to manage the site.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been popular among some Turks, attracting over 21 million visitors.

The conversion has raised concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, key EU membership criteria.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its democratic and human rights record.

The Pope and the Orthodox Patriarch have criticized Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a distraction from Turkey's economic problems.

The conversion has significant implications for Turkey's secularism, international relations, and EU accession bid.

The EU wants closer ties with Turkey, but only if it respects democracy and human rights.

Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate over cultural heritage and religious beliefs.

Turkey has introduced an entrance fee for foreign tourists, sparking controversy.

The fee aims to preserve cultural assets, but critics see it as a barrier to access for non-affiliated visitors.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may deter visitors from other faiths or backgrounds, impacting tourism.

The Turkish government has implemented measures to regulate visitor access, including separate entrances for worshippers and tourists.

The site's restoration work is underway.

The Turkish government introduced a visitor management plan to improve visit quality and safety.

The plan includes regulating visitor density and providing information in 16 languages through an app.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant implications for Turkish citizens, especially minority religious groups.

Erdogan's decision aims to promote Islamic heritage and divert attention from economic issues.

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage over other cultural layers.

The decision challenges Turkey's secularism, a founding principle established by Ataturk.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

The Turkish government has introduced measures in Istanbul to promote social cohesion among Roma people, including coordination centers and social housing projects.

The government has announced an action plan to improve Roma living conditions, including free vocational training.

Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate about Turkey's secularism and international relations.

Erdogan's Islamic priorities may have significant implications for Turkey's future and international relations.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

The conversion is likely to significantly impact Turkey's EU accession bid and its international relations.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia is likened to the fall of Constantinople, echoing Sultan Mehmed II.

Turkey defends converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque as a matter of national sovereignty, with the site remaining open to visitors.

The conversion has sparked concerns over preserving the site's historic mosaics and artwork, which are forbidden in mosques.

The Turkish government has introduced measures, including separate entrances and earphones, to manage the site.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant economic implications for Turkey's tourism and foreign investment.

The decision has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage, potentially undermining the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government has introduced measures to regulate visitor access, including separate entrances for worshippers and tourists.

The site's restoration work is underway.

The Turkish government introduced a visitor management plan to improve visit quality and safety.

The plan includes regulating visitor density and providing information in 16 languages through an app.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant implications for Turkish citizens, especially minority religious groups.

Erdogan's decision aims to promote Islamic heritage and divert attention from economic issues.

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage over other cultural layers.

The decision challenges Turkey's secularism, a founding principle established by Ataturk.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

The Turkish government has introduced measures in Istanbul to promote social cohesion among Roma people, including coordination centers and social housing projects.

The government has announced an action plan to improve Roma living conditions, including free vocational training.

Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate about Turkey's secularism and international relations.

Erdogan's Islamic priorities may have significant implications for Turkey's future and international relations.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

The conversion is likely to significantly impact Turkey's EU accession bid and its international relations.

The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been highly controversial.

Title:

Content: She returned Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
Turkey has challenged global trusteeship
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 29.10.2022 10: 23
Hagia Sophia Mosque (Getty Images)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the fact that Turkey has returned the Hagia Sophia museum from a museum to a mosque represents a major challenge to the global trusteeship.
Speaking at a ceremony announcing the vision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “Turkey ’ s Century ” in Ankara, Erdogan said his country was challenging global tutelage and thanked citizens for their support for the decision to return Hagia Sophia.
He noted that his party has always sought to eliminate any vestiges of guardianship and promote democracy in the country over the past 20 years.
Turkey has lived through a remarkable period in its history in general and the history of Istanbul, especially when Hagia Sophia was transformed from its status as a museum and restored to its former glory as the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020.
The historic building remained a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul.
It was then used as a mosque between 1453 and 1934, nearly 500 years before becoming a museum for 86 years.
It is one of the most visited historical buildings in Turkey by domestic and international tourists, and Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court overturned a 1934 ministerial decision that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for it to be used again as a mosque after an 86-year hiatus.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Why did Erdogan restore Hagia Sophia as a mosque in 2020?

Because he wanted to end its 86-year museum status to return it to its original role as a mosque.

Turkish President Erdogan made the decision, which has been seen as a move to appeal to his conservative base and promote a neo-Ottoman ideology.

Title:

Content: On the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia (CALHSC) called for the Hagia Sophia Museum to return to its original significance, that is, it should once again hear Christian prayers and Christian services.
Such a statement, reports the Austrian Catholic news agency KATHPRESS, was made by the president of CALHSC, an American politician of Greek origin Chris Spirou.
According to the agency, he has already appealed to the Turkish government with a proposal to start negotiations on this issue.
As a first step, it is proposed to allow regular liturgical services while maintaining the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum.
All Christians still perceive the cathedral as a shrine, Spira argues, so if the Turkish authorities raise the issue of returning it to the status of a cult place of worship, Ankara should hear the voices of Christians, not just Muslims.
In the event that the Turkish leadership does not go to negotiations, the “American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia ” is going to file a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
This is not the first time Spirou has taken such an initiative.
His organization, registered in 2005, but not particularly famous, has already announced its intention to celebrate the liturgy in the cathedral museum.
The Turkish government then called the words of the American politician a provocation, and he himself was denied entry to the country.
But a lot of things are changing in the Middle East, Europe and the United States today.
Ankara is no longer the “best ally ” it used to be, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving further and further away from the familiar image of the head of state for Western colleagues, with whom you can deal.
Washington even under the previous administration with a squeak, but went on to recognize the importance of protecting Christian minorities in the Middle East, and the current Trump administration puts this at the forefront.
Cracks went on the sarcophagus, which until now protected the secular museum of Hagia Sophia from degeneration into a religious object.
And not at all in the church, in the mosque, which Hagia Sophia became after the conquest by the Ottomans of the capital of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire in May 1453.
The intensification of this process is associated today with the rebirth of Erdogan himself, although it is difficult to be completely sure that there is no political conjuncture here, which, as you know, is changeable.
Alexxx1979
View of St. Sophia Cathedral
Recall that in early April this year, a number of Turkish newspapers reported that the President was going on Friday, April 14, together with the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and religious leaders of Istanbul to visit the Hagia Sophia Museum to pray in it as Muslims.
The timing of Muslim prayer in the former church was not accidental.
On April 14 this year was Holy Friday, which is dedicated to the memory of the condemnation to death, the suffering of the cross and the death of Jesus Christ, as well as the removal of His body from the cross and burial.
Considering also that Easter is now the Orthodox and Catholics coincided, the message was sent powerful and significant.
All this seemed to be a continuation of playing the religious card on the eve of the referendum on April 16, which decided whether Turkey should be a parliamentary or presidential republic.
On April 18, it became clear that Erdogan had won.
But I lost at the same time.
In September 2015, during the parliamentary elections, the ruling party received 51% of the vote, and the nationalist Nationalist Action Party received about 20%.
When the AKP merged with the nationalists in the course of lobbying for constitutional amendments, it expected that the addition of 50% and 20% would give 70% or more in the referendum.
Only 51% of Turks supported the union of the two parties.
In this regard, many Turkish experts, analyzing the current situation, pointed out that the Justice and Development Party, having entered into an alliance with the Nationalist Action Party, made a strategic mistake, creating not only the impression of a synthesis of “soft Islamism ” with nationalists, but also began to cultivate a hybrid ideology of neo-Ottomanism, which was not supported by almost half of the citizens of Turkey..
However, there is another thing – the conservative and religious inner Anatolia, whose votes went to Erdogan, began to realize that from now on she has the right to present her demands to him.
This directly affects Saint Sophia.
An observer for the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News points out in this regard that on the eve of the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, the space around the Hagia Sophia Museum is again filled, but not by tourists, but by members of the Anatolian Youth Association (AGD), whose motto is the words of the late Islamist politician, former Prime Minister of Turkey Necmettin Erbakan: “Life is faith and jihad ”.
These passionately believing people are actively opposed to everything that testifies to the presence of the non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
And not just Santa Claus for the New Year.
For the past three years, they have focused on making Hagia Sophia “free from shackles ” and converted into a mosque.
Erdogan is slow.
However, the impatient members of the AGD are even more demanding for action this year.
After the referendum, Turkish politics entered a difficult phase of implementing the new constitution, and after May 29, the question arises whether these loud signals from Anatolia will now be ignored.
The Turkish president himself, during a speech in the ancient capital during the celebration of the conquest of Constantinople, according to the government news agency Anadolu, emphasized that “Istanbul, which since its foundation has been the capital of different states and cultures, has become a center of peaceful coexistence and tolerance during the just rule of Sultan Mehmed Fatih [also known as Mehmed the Conqueror]. ”
This part of Erdogan ’ s rhetoric looks tolerant.
But what will follow?
If suddenly the Turkish president decided to allow the Hagia Sophia Museum to serve the liturgy, then this, at least, made us think about the prospects of a possible return of Turkey to the path of improving relations with the Christian world, in particular with the European Union, which Erdogan has repeatedly sarcastic called “the Christian club ”.
However, this will require from the president not only personal courage, but also reliance on new political and social forces, the search for new allies in the country and abroad.
The problem is that even in Turkey itself, an opinion is beginning to take shape that Erdogan is becoming a hostage of internal Anatolia.
This means that the Hagia Sophia Museum, under pressure from this part of the country and society, would rather become a mosque than a church.

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The conversion has been criticized by the Greek Orthodox Church, UNESCO, and other organizations due to concerns over cultural heritage and religious freedom.

Title:

Content: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque

Hundreds of worshippers filled the narrow streets of Istanbul's Fatih district on Friday to hear the sounds of Friday prayers ringing out from the newly inaugurated Kariye Mosque.

Once known as the Chora Church, the site spent the last 79 years as a museum. But it is now the latest structure to be converted back into a mosque by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the conversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020. While viewed as a triumph by many Turkish Muslims, the Greek Orthodox Church has decried it as an "ill-advised decision" that "makes a mockery of the Turkish government's commitment to religious tolerance and religious freedom."

Chora's conversion was announced shortly after Hagia Sophia's, but its opening for prayer was delayed by years of restoration work.

The showing for the first Friday prayers at Kariye was relatively quiet compared to Hagia Sophia, which drew hundreds of thousands who filled the streets with prayer rugs for blocks and blocks away from the building. By contrast, the crowd on Friday was relatively average for a mosque in one of Istanbul's more religiously conservative neighborhoods, where Friday worshippers frequently spill out onto the streets.

Both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia are 4th-century Byzantine constructions. They spent nearly a millennium as Christian holy sites before being converted to mosques by the Ottomans after their conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. Despite their conversions, they remained revered by Orthodox Christians. After the founding of a secular Turkish Republic in the early 20th century, the decision was made for both to be neither mosque nor church but simply museums.

"Both Hagia Sophia and Chora embodied Byzantine and Ottoman pasts, and they became symbols of co-existence and multi-faith living practices. Their conversion fundamentally implies a hierarchy, prioritizing the Islamic past over all other layers, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, et al," Dr. Özgür Kaymak, a lecturer and researcher on minority rights at Istanbul's MEF University, told Religion News Service in an email.

Rededicating the sites as mosques is more than just a status change. According to Islamic tradition, artwork of human figures are forbidden in places of prayer, while in Orthodox Churches, icons of Christ, saints and other biblical figures are a defining feature.

In Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Jesus and Mary have been covered with curtains since the conversion. While Erdoğan promised Hagia Sophia would remain fully accessible and free to all visitors, Turkey reneged on that earlier this year, reimposing an entrance fee on tourists and relegating them to the upper level, while the main floor is exclusive to Muslim worshippers.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's caretaking of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Though Chora is significantly smaller than Hagia Sophia, it is home to some of the best-preserved examples of late-Byzantine art, including mosaics, icons and frescoes, and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"For us it's a very important place because it remembers our culture and our traditions here," Father Evangelos Markantonis, an Orthodox priest who was leading a group of theology students to Chora on Friday, told Religion News Service.

"Though we cannot venerate as Orthodox Christians, we have to try to find things we can be united on. Only with dialogue and good deeds can we continue our lives," Markantonis, who is also a professor at the University of Athens, said when asked about the controversy.

Erdoğan had long refused calls from his right to convert churches like Hagia Sophia and Chora, telling supporters in 2018 to fill the nearby Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known in English as the Blue Mosque) before they talked about needing to pray in Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020.

"My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history," Erdoğan said at the time in a speech inaugurating the Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

"This is the most honorable day that Islam has been looking forward to, Greek Constantinople has become Turkish Istanbul," he added, quoting the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come out of the interregnum," Erdoğan said in his concluding remarks.

Chora's opening as the Kariye Mosque comes just weeks after Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its largest electoral defeat in two decades during Turkey's nationwide municipal elections.

"The recent conversion of Chora into a mosque may be due to Erdoğan's many problems, including his geopolitical power politics, his appeal to religio-nationalism to revive his electoral popularity after the March elections or his tactic to divert attention from Turkey's economic downturn," Kaymak said.

Many analysts have attributed the loss to AKP bleeding votes to the more Islamist-leaning New Welfare Party, which has pressured Erdogan over his response to the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed its rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.

"This mosque is one of the symbols of the Conquest. We are proud and happy. There are very beautiful frescoes inside. They were also nicely renovated before they were closed. May it be good for our country and our nation," a bystander, Ahmet Öteyüzoğlu, told Turkish media.

"Thank God for these days. Not everyone has the opportunity in their lifetime," another bystander named Mehmet Çelik told the Turkish news service Anadolu Agency, in reference to having been able to pray at both the rededicated Hagia Sophia and Kariye Mosques.

However, Greece, the U.S. State Department and Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide have all criticized the decision to revert the structure into a mosque.

"I want to publicly express my intense dissatisfaction, interpreting the feelings of all Greek women and men, for the completely unnecessary conversion of a historic Byzantine temple, the Monastery of Chora, into a mosque. It is, I believe, an action that offends the rich history of Istanbul itself as a crossroads of cultures," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said shortly before leaving for Turkey for a planned meeting with Erdogan.

"We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Greek media.

"The Turkish government's appropriation of both as the property of one faith group not only constitutes yet another sign of that government's contempt for Turkey's rich Orthodox Christian heritage but further imperils the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the remaining Christians of that land," the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a statement.

© Religion News Service

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Turkish government defended its decision as a matter of national sovereignty, with the site remaining open to visitors.

Title:

Content: New rules come into force for the visit of Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey - Sunrise Gate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 2: 04 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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New rules come into effect for visiting Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey
DBA
Published on: Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM | Last updated on Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM
The project for the Hagia Sophia mosque was closest to the heart of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – but it was also the project that drew international criticism.
In the summer of 2020, Erdogan restored Hagia Sophia to be a mosque after it was originally a church, converted into an Ottoman mosque, converted into a museum.
At the time, Erdogan assured citizens that entry fees would be abolished, adding that the cultural edifice would remain open to everyone – Muslims or non-Muslims alike.
There will be another major change from January 15, with access to the Hagia Sophia restricted and visitors will have to pay fees again.
Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Arsoy hopes this will improve coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Arsoy said recently that tourist visitors are making noise and disrupting calm and prayer.
Until recently, visitors and worshippers were allowed to enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signs keeping a certain distance between them.
However, from now on, worshippers and tourists will be introduced through different entrances.
Although worshippers can use the same entrances as before, tourists will be guided through an upstairs hallway.
According to Arsoy, tour guides will not be allowed to accompany visitors through the corridors, and earphones will be used instead.
“Our priority there is prayer, ” Arsoy said, noting that the building is a world cultural heritage site and should therefore remain open to all visitors around the world.
Zuleiha Duman, 29, who returned to Istanbul from Germany to see Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque, said she found it taking away.
Welcoming the new rules, she said: “As long as the entrance fee isn ’ t too high, I think it ’ s acceptable. ”
“Why shouldn ’ t Turkey and the government take advantage of this place?
These funds can be channeled to preserve more religious places. ”
Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul ’ s history since 1985.
Built by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest place of worship in Christianity for nearly a thousand years, it was the main church during the Byzantine Empire, and from the seventh century, the emperor was crowned inside.
After the Ottomans entered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
On the orders of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the building was converted into a museum in 1934 until the summer of 2020.
Hagia Sophia is as symbolically important to Orthodox Christians around the world as St. Peter ’ s Basilica is to Catholics.
After the building was converted into a mosque, criticism poured in from the Greek Orthodox Church.
The UNESCO Foundation also criticized the decision without consultation.
For Erdogan, turning the place into a mosque was his “childhood dream, ” as he himself said, and pleasing to religious voters.
A few external changes were made at the time, for example, a green carpet was placed above the marble floor.
It seems clear that all these things did not detract from the popularity of this teacher.
According to official statistics, some 13.6 million people visited the Hagia Sophia landmark in 2022, not all of them from Europe.
The number of visitors from Indonesia in particular has risen, Hagia Sophia Imam Binyamin Topoglu told Turkey ’ s Anadolu news agency in 2023.
The amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
Tourism Minister Ersoy says the proceeds will be spent on cultural assets, for excavation or preservation of monuments such as the Hagia Sophia.
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What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The conversion has sparked concerns over preserving the site's historic mosaics and artwork, which are forbidden in mosques.

The Turkish government has introduced measures, including separate entrances and earphones, to manage the site.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been popular among some Turks, attracting over 21 million visitors.

Title:

Content: [ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia - Orthodox Christian Laity

Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia

0

Source: Greek Reporter

A still from a recently released video shows visitors rushing to take cover as fragments fall from the dome of Hagia Sophia. Credit: Daily Motion/BirGün

A video from 2022 that came to light recently shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.

The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises serious questions over the safety of the former Orthodox Christian cathedral, now a mosque.

BirGün notably quoted officials as saying that “pieces are falling from the roof, due to the humidity created by the crowd, but no precautions are being taken”.

The president of the Turkish Art History Association, Serif Yasar, argued for restoration of the monument as soon as possible, suggesting that “If Hagia Sophia is not restored, it will collapse with the first earthquake.”

The monument was restored as a mosque three years ago after serving as a museum from 1935-2020 and has since received 21 million visitors, according to Turkey’s tourism and culture minister.

Yasar added that when the church was a museum, the scientific council overseeing it urged that groups of no more than 25 people should be allowed to enter the building at any one time.

This enormous lift in visitation has likely brought to the forefront the need for repairs and it was indeed reported in September that the Turkish government had decided to start long-term maintenance of Hagia Sophia.

Turkey to implement visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia

In early October Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli expressed fears that the large number of visitors to Hagia Sophia could lead to a catastrophic structural failure if not addressed immediately.

Writing in the Hürriyet daily, Ortayli said that the monument, which attracts three million pilgrims annually apart from tourists, has undergone significant damage since its conversion into a mosque.

He asserted that even a modest number of 20-30 thousand people annually, including scientists, historians, archaeologists, representatives of the Muslim religion, politicians, and public officials, could be considered excessive for the endurance of the monument.

In June 2022 a number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia were damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site.

In April 2022, The Turkish Association of Art Historians stated that the historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia had been badly damaged.

The group posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate.

Turkey unveiled plans in late October for a visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia, including charging foreign tourists with an entrance fee to be implemented starting Jan. 15.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that extensive restoration work is underway in various sections of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, with plans to progress to other parts upon their completion.

He emphasized that, based on UNESCO’s recommendations, a visitor management plan would be enforced to enhance the quality and safety of visits while preserving the historical significance of the site.

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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The conversion has raised concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, key EU membership criteria.

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EU says Turkey ’ s bid to join ‘ deadlock ’
Category: Arab and International
Date: 2021-10-20T05: 01: 42 + 0000
The European Commission said Turkey's bid to join the European Union was "at a standstill" amid severe democratic failures.
The commission ’ s annual report was the most critical since Ankara began accession talks 16 years ago.
The commission said the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was overseeing the ongoing erosion of democracy and the rule of law and had ignored EU recommendations last year.
The report also indicated for the first time that Ankara was no longer serious about EU-backed reforms, even though Erdogan recommitted in April to a goal of full EU membership at a time when both sides have tried to improve strained relations.
"Serious EU concerns about the continued deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary have not been addressed," the commission said.
"Under the current circumstances, Turkey's accession negotiations have reached a virtual deadlock."
Ankara has not yet responded to the report, but Turkey has previously said EU criticism of its record was unfair and disproportionate.
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The EU has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its democratic and human rights record.

The Pope and the Orthodox Patriarch have criticized Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
Remind me!
The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a distraction from Turkey's economic problems.

Title:

Content: Roundup of news from December 30, 2021
Erdogan the Conqueror
The Turkish president compared the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Constantinople.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to try on the kaftan of Sultan Mehmed II, whose troops captured Constantinople in 1453.
In this regard, he, summing up the year, compared the transformation of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Tsargrad, reports the UOJ with reference to the publication “Vima Ortodoksiya ”.
According to the head of Turkey, the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is “as important ” for the Turks as the fall of the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
However, at the same time, many pay attention to the fact that the Turkish lira in the outgoing year fell strongly against the dollar, and this seriously hit the Turkish economy.
Responding to the criticism, Erdogan said he would “lead his people to what they deserve ” and stressed that he would“ apply the laws of Islam. ”
Thus, the Turkish authorities seek to distract their citizens from economic problems by proclaiming the Islamization of Turkey to the detriment of its secular status.
The economy of Turkey is not in the best condition, but Erdogan was again able to win the Hagia Sophia.
This is what officials in Ankara are thinking.
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What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The conversion has significant implications for Turkey's secularism, international relations, and EU accession bid.

The EU wants closer ties with Turkey, but only if it respects democracy and human rights.

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Turkey demands clear EU position on accession
05-02-2024 | 13: 00
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Turkey has asked the European Union to present a clear position on its application for membership, and spoke of a new approach on its relationship with the bloc.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the process of Turkey's accession negotiations with the European Union has been going on for a long time, pointing to drawing lessons from them given its past and present.
Fidan called on the European Union to declare an explicit position on his country's membership, saying that "the European Union must first decide whether or not it wishes to accept Turkey's membership."
The EU reiterated its desire to forge closer ties, deepen cooperation and resolve differences with Turkey.
Speaking in Brussels after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Saturday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell said all member states agreed to forge closer ties with Turkey.
"In order to avoid conflicts and increase cooperation, we need to communicate with Turkey, taking into account the Cyprus issue, we have to establish more relations with Turkey, work in areas where our interests coincide, and avoid issues that alienate us from each other," he said.
(Middle East)
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Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate over cultural heritage and religious beliefs.

Title:

Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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Turkey has introduced an entrance fee for foreign tourists, sparking controversy.

Title:

Content: Foreign tourists will pay for entrance to Hagia Sophia
Society
Photo: [© RIA Novosti / Pavel Bednyakov]
From January 15, the entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists, Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said.
For Turkish citizens visiting the mosque for worship, admission will remain free.
The first church on the site of the current temple was built under Emperor Constantine.
In the sixth century, it burned down, and the emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a new temple, which remained the largest Christian cathedral until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the Christian shrine was turned into a mosque.
In 1932, Hagia Sophia became a museum, and the entrance to it was paid, until recently it was 72 liras (about 500 rubles).
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned the temple to the status of a mosque, and it could be visited for free.

The fee aims to preserve cultural assets, but critics see it as a barrier to access for non-affiliated visitors.

Title:

Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

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The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

Read more:

Ramadan prayers return to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque after 88 years

Turkey says UNESCO criticism of Hagia Sophia conversion ‘biased and political’

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The conversion of Hagia Sophia may deter visitors from other faiths or backgrounds, impacting tourism.

The Turkish government has implemented measures to regulate visitor access, including separate entrances for worshippers and tourists.

The site's restoration work is underway.

The Turkish government introduced a visitor management plan to improve visit quality and safety.

The plan includes regulating visitor density and providing information in 16 languages through an app.

Title:

Content: Events
Entrance to Hagia Sophia will again be paid, but not for everyone
Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that visiting the Ayia Sophia mosque for foreign citizens from January 15 will be paid.
Ersoy, who held a press conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), said that according to the first 9 months of tourism, the total number of visitors, which last year amounted to 40.2 million people, increased to 45.2 million at the end of September.
Noting that Ayia Sophia and Sultanahmet Square are included in the UNESCO permanent heritage list, Ersoy said that they listened to the advice and opinions of UNESCO and implemented the decisions on the restoration of the Ayia Sophia Mosque.
Minister Ersoy stressed that from January 15, 2024, they will move to the management plan of the visitors of Agia Sofya on the recommendation of UNESCO, and said:
“In this management plan, the quality of visits and safety will be improved.
Density will be regulated by distributing it along different routes.
Again, our precious mosque will be incorporated into a very ideal ecosystem focused on protecting and promoting the "Common Heritage of Humanity".
According to Ersoy, the entrance for worshippers will remain the same, but the tourist entrance will change, so that these two streams will not change. that information about Hagia Sophia will be provided in 16 languages through an application with a QR code and headphones.
Ersoy added: “From now on, visitors will be able to complete the process by receiving detailed information about the entire history and iconography of Hagia Sophia in a quiet environment without disturbing the faithful. ”
Noting that from January 15, 2024, foreign tourists visiting the mosque will be charged a ticket fee, Ersoy said: “Visits by our Turkish citizens for the purpose of worship will be free as before.
This practice also exists in many countries. "
In general, judging by the words of Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia mosque will partially return to the function of a museum.
The most important question that may concern us now is whether the mosque will become accessible to believers from other countries?
Ersoy said that free entrance will remain only for Turkish citizens, but perhaps here he was simply referring to those who come to the mosque for the purpose of prayer, since it is obvious that the absolute majority of those praying are Turks.
In any case, we hope for this, because if passports are checked at the entrance to the mosque, and the descendants of Bosniaks or Albanians are asked to pay money so that they can pray in the mosque that their ancestors conquered in the army of Sultan Fatih Mehmed, any neo-Ottomanism can be put a bold end to.
Author: Jakub Hadžić
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The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant implications for Turkish citizens, especially minority religious groups.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Erdogan's decision aims to promote Islamic heritage and divert attention from economic issues.

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

Title:

Content: World News
Erdogan: Church of the Savior in Khora to be converted into a mosque: it will remain open to all
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, confirmed the conversion of the ancient Orthodox Church of the Saviour in Istanbul to a mosque, despite calls from Greece not to go ahead with the move.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Mitsotakis in Ankara, Erdogan said: "The Karye Mosque in its new form will remain open to all."
The Turkish president said he had told the Greek prime minister, “We opened the Carré mosque for prayers and visits after careful restoration work in accordance with the decision we made in 2020. ”
“We attach great importance to protecting any monument that is part of UNESCO ’ s cultural heritage and making it available for the benefit of our nation and all humanity. ”
The Greek prime minister has opposed the conversion of the church, which contains frescoes representing the "judgment" dating back to the 14th century, into a mosque.
These were the details of the news Erdogan confirmed the conversion of the Church of the Saviour in Khora to a mosque: it will remain open to everyone for today, we hope that we have succeeded by giving you the details and full information and to follow all our news you can subscribe to the system of alerts or one of our different systems to provide you with everything new.
It should also be noted that the original news has been published and is available on the bulletin (Lebanon) has been verified by the editorial team in Gulf 365 and may have been modified and may have been transferred in full or quoted from it and you can read and follow up on the news from its main source.
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The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage over other cultural layers.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The decision challenges Turkey's secularism, a founding principle established by Ataturk.

Title:

Content: Turkey in 100 years.
From Ataturk to Erdogan
On 29 October 1923, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk proclaimed the Turkish Republic, which he led until his death in 1938.
Ataturk included secularism in Turkey ’ s founding principles with the abolition of the caliphate and the abolition of religious education institutions, but the 2002 landslide victory of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) ended an era of government instability but aroused concern among secularist circles.
See also:
Decisive Day in Turkey.
Erdogan faces Kilicdaroglu in run-off
Located at a crossroads between Europe and Asia, Turkey ’ s relationship with the EU declined after the coup attempt in 2016, and negotiations on Ankara ’ s accession to the EU reached a near-deadlock.
Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 and has the second-largest army (numerically) among NATO countries after the United States, with which it disagrees on a number of points, including Washington ’ s support for the Syrian Kurds and Ankara ’ s acquisition of a Russian missile defense system.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the party ’ s founders, became prime minister in 2003 and then president of the Turkish Republic in 2014, and came to power with a conservative Islamist project that evokes the glory of the Ottoman sultans.
In the first decade of Erdogan ’ s rule, Turkey joined the G-20, modernizing the country with airports, roads, bridges, hospitals and hundreds of thousands of homes, but in 2013 growth began to weaken due to economic conditions.
In the summer of 2018, the crisis between Washington and Ankara in the market led to the collapse of the Turkish lira, and inflation reached 85 percent in October 2022, the highest level in 25 years.
Political life in Turkey witnessed three military coups (1960, 1971 and 1980), and on July 15, 2016, Erdogan succeeded in thwarting a coup attempt that killed 250 people and injured 1,500 others.
In 2017, Sunni-majority Turkey, with a population of 85 million, moved from a parliamentary system to a presidential one that significantly expanded the powers of the president.
When he came to power in 2002, Erdogan ’ s Justice and Development Party (AKP) was popular among Turkey ’ s largest Kurdish minority by seeking a deal to end their quest for autonomy, but the failure of talks in 2015 led to the resumption of armed conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, and Ankara and its Western allies have listed the group, which since 1984 has been waging an armed insurgency that killed tens of thousands of people.
A devastating earthquake in February 2023 killed at least 50,000 people in Turkey and caused more than $34 billion in damage, exacerbating the economic crisis inside Turkey.
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No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Turkish government has introduced measures in Istanbul to promote social cohesion among Roma people, including coordination centers and social housing projects.

Title:

Content: Turkey establishes focal points for Roma
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 21.01.2023 13: 25
Last update at 21.01.2023 13: 26
A Roma woman dances at the Kakava festival in Edirne, northwest Turkey, July 7, 2017 (DHA)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey is working to establish special coordination centers for Roma people under the Ministry of Interior to address their problems at the highest level in the country.
Speaking to them at the “Roma Conference 2023 ” in Istanbul, the president said the government sincerely aims to strengthen ties with Roma citizens, embrace them and introduce their unique culture.
In this context, the Turkish government is launching the Coordination Center initiative in 25 provinces of the country, where they are represented by the Roma Coordinator in the Office of the Governor.
Erdogan added that the government has also prepared a social housing project exclusively for Roma citizens in 12 provinces.
In 2016, Turkey announced an action plan as part of the government ’ s Roma initiative to improve the living conditions of local Roma.
President Erdogan has long praised his friendly relations with the community he spent his childhood in Istanbul ’ s Kasımpaşa neighborhood, where a large part of the Roma community lives, and is credited with taking the first steps to community affirmative action programs during his premiership.
The president, who attended Roma conferences that brought together representatives of the community, was the first to apologize to the community in 2010 for the previous Turkish state policies that deprived the community of its rights.
Education and employment pose serious challenges to the Roma community, although their situation has improved with a series of projects in recent years, and most Roma citizens work in low-level and low-paid jobs due to their limited access to education.
The Turkish government is working to help them reach higher jobs with better social security, and is still seeking to encourage participation in free vocational training courses where participants are automatically employed in public services and private companies once they complete the training.

The government has announced an action plan to improve Roma living conditions, including free vocational training.

Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate about Turkey's secularism and international relations.

Title:

Content: Hagia Sophia must once again become a place of Christian worship, demands the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia.
For a start, according to the organization, it is possible to allow liturgies in Hagia Sophia, preserving its museum status.
Although Christians still perceive this cathedral captured together with Constantinople in 1453 as one of the most important shrines.
In case of refusal, the “Council ” intends to appeal to the ECHR.
However, the situation around Hagia Sophia is much more complicated; the observer of IA REGNUM Stanislav Stremidlovsky analyzes the recent events around the former main temple of Byzantium.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
The head of the “Council ”, American politician Chris Spirou, has already been declared a provocateur by the Turkish authorities.
Today, when Erdogan is increasingly moving away from “his overseas partners ” at least in terms of the desired image of the president, and the new owner of the White House pays much more attention to Middle Eastern Christians than Obama, the situation is clearly changing.
There are already hints that Hagia Sophia from the museum will become a mosque.
At the same time, Erdogan ’ s victory in the last referendum made the president a debtor of domestic Anatolia (at least she believes so), who gave him their votes.
The Anatolian Youth Association strongly opposes any manifestations of non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
For three years now, they have been trying to make Hagia Sophia a mosque.
And although Erdogan is in no hurry to meet, the Association expects decisive measures from him.
Where the Turkish president is inclined and what Hagia Sophia, cathedral or mosque can become, read here: Internal Anatolia, who supported Erdogan, demands to make Hagia Sophia a mosque
Read other articles by Stanislav Stremidlovsky on the relationship of world religions.

Erdogan's Islamic priorities may have significant implications for Turkey's future and international relations.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The conversion is likely to significantly impact Turkey's EU accession bid and its international relations.

Title:

Content: Turkey has been a candidate for the European Union for 24 years, the European Parliament (EU) recently released a report on Turkey, which basically once again blocked Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (16) said on Saturday (16) that Ankara can "separate" from the European Union if necessary.
The report, approved earlier this week, said Turkey's accession to the 27-member European Union cannot be resumed under the current circumstances, and Erdogan called on the EU to explore "a parallel and realistic framework" for building relations with Ankara.
Turkey has been an official candidate for the European Union for 24 years, but accession talks have stalled in recent years due to EU concerns over human rights abuses and rule of law in Turkey.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his trip to the United States, Erdogan said: "The EU is trying to distance itself from Turkey.
We will carefully assess these developments and, if necessary, we can parted ways with the EU. ”
Turkey ’ s foreign ministry said earlier this week that the European Parliament ’ s report contained unfounded allegations and prejudices, taking a “shallow and far-sighted ” approach to the country ’ s relationship with the EU.
Turkey could part ways with EU if necessary, Erdogan says
# Turkey # Recep Tayyip Erdogan # EU # European Union

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia is likened to the fall of Constantinople, echoing Sultan Mehmed II.

How did Hagia Sophia become important for Muslims?

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,making it a key religious site for Muslims for centuries.

Turkey defends converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque as a matter of national sovereignty, with the site remaining open to visitors.

The conversion has sparked concerns over preserving the site's historic mosaics and artwork, which are forbidden in mosques.

The Turkish government has introduced measures, including separate entrances and earphones, to manage the site.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant economic implications for Turkey's tourism and foreign investment.

Title:

Content: The Cost of Xenophobia in Turkey
There is no doubt that racism and xenophobia, which have spread in a systematic way, especially on social media, have a tangible impact on the ground, not only to create a sense of hatred among Turks against Arabs, but also to eliminate Arab tourism and investments in Turkey.
As is well known, tourism is one of the most important sources of income and export elements in Turkey and has gained great strategic importance for Turkey since the 1980s.
As well as the Turkish industry has developed significantly and its products have become one of the important sources in Turkish exports.
Over the past decades, Turkey has taken a strategic approach that looks forward to a more prosperous future in which it has sought to remove bureaucratic obstacles to the development of industry, tourism and other sectors and prevent attracting investments.
This general development also goes hand in hand with the struggle for a privileged place in the global market.
This means that conflict at the public level will often not be easy for all sides as competition is not limited to countries that have marketed themselves well externally and internally.
All this is in addition to Turkey ’ s destructive operations, forest fires, counter-propaganda and terrorist operations to occupy a large area of competition and disrupt the path of development in all fields, especially industry and tourism.
One of the most influential examples in this regard for many years has been the terrorist attacks carried out by the Kurdistan Workers ’ Party (PKK) and later ISIS in Turkey, which negatively affect this fierce competition rather than the fact that the two organizations are interested in defining their own ideological messages.
This is reflected in the fact that every terrorist attack in central Istanbul spreads a negative image of Turkey as an unsafe country, which in turn destroys the bright image that the Turkish Ministry of Tourism has long tried to maintain.
Tourism is quickly affected by terrorist attacks and is dealt a heavy blow with a sense of insecurity from such attacks.
The perpetrators of these terrorist acts intended to strike tourism in particular or harm the Turkish economy in general.
In any case, this means showing hostility to Turkey.
After the great success.
In recent years, after its great success in the fight against terrorism, Turkey has come a long way towards becoming a safe and peaceful country, and tourism has also made great progress.
Everyone in the field knows that tourism revenues are one of the most reliable sources of income, especially in the face of the country ’ s economic difficulties.
The new Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, from the early days of assuming the economic portfolio in Turkey, paid great attention to tourism and stressed the need to develop it further.
On the other hand, those who have not been able to undermine Turkish tourism with terrorism have taken another way to reach their malign goal by fuelling xenophobia, racism and especially hard-line anti-Arab rhetoric.
Unfortunately, these speeches are not limited to the Turkish interior, but their impact extends through social media to the whole world, especially the Arab world, where they are quickly reflected, as cancellations increased this summer directly with the spread of rumors that there is a racist anti-Arab stance in Turkey.
Not only have tourist trips been cancelled, but many capital investments have changed.
Those in the industry felt the impact of that behavior the most.
Indeed, outsiders have paid a heavy premium and suffered losses of at least $5 billion for these racist rhetoric this summer alone.
Now let ’ s be more clear on this question: Is there a difference between these racist rhetoric and actions that cost Turkey $5 billion in a few months, and the terrorist actions of the PKK or ISIS in terms of intent and purpose?
It is also known to everyone that Arab tourists in Turkey spend at least 10 times as much as Russian or European tourists.
Moreover, Arab tourists do not come to Turkey for a short time, they buy houses, invest and establish businesses, all of which, of course, means a continuous flow of money to Turkey and creates a unique source of income.
In fact, such a tourist enjoys an advantage and quality that excites the appetite of all countries.
That is why everyone is trying to attract this type of tourists and not only that, but if necessary, they are trying to prevent them from going to other places, especially to their rival country.
In her blog Foreign Policy and Memoirs of the Middle East, activist Zahida Toba Kaur reveals the gravity of the situation regarding the consequences of xenophobia, especially anti-Arab rhetoric, through successive interviews with Syrian businessmen:
“Recently, with the exaggeration of crimes committed against Syrians in the Arab media, the perception in the Arab countries of Turkey has gradually changed and it is referred to as a racist state.
This is a very dangerous situation.
Despite the hard work to combat the growing racism in Turkey.
The truth is that we don ’ t understand the damage done to Turkey as a result of what Ömit Özdağ and his comrades are doing to spread the poison of racism. ”
“Foreigners are working to end their investments in Turkey because of racism.
Most of the Arab investors who founded companies in Turkey refrained from coming to Turkey this summer, saying they closed the company and its accounts.
“We don ’ t want to come to Turkey and do business in Turkey again. ”
“When they visit Turkey, they spend at least $10,000 a month, which actually benefits Turkey. ”
For whom?
Just looking at this picture is enough to know who is working for those who incite xenophobia and hatred against Arabs, and it also reveals that they are working to harm Turkey, a nation and a state in a way that is more damaging and heinous than the PKK.
An important case has to be proven: traitors do not become Turks when they wear Turkish clothes.
Those who shout “Turkey ” and then make statements that are not worthy of Turkey ’ s status because making xenophobic statements or antagonizing foreigners with Turkey is actually an act that hurts Turkey and does not help it at all.
This is why I put these questions before everyone: Is it not time to make these people pay for this damage through the law?
Shouldn ’ t the Public Prosecutor ’ s Office take action on this case on its own?
Because these discourses pose a direct and clear threat to peace and internal security in Turkey.
Shouldn ’ t the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as the body directly concerned, take action against the perpetrators of these racist crimes and hate crimes because they disturb the peace and security of society?
Source: Al Jazeera Direct

The decision has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage, potentially undermining the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government has introduced measures to regulate visitor access, including separate entrances for worshippers and tourists.

The site's restoration work is underway.

The Turkish government introduced a visitor management plan to improve visit quality and safety.

The plan includes regulating visitor density and providing information in 16 languages through an app.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has significant implications for Turkish citizens, especially minority religious groups.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Erdogan's decision aims to promote Islamic heritage and divert attention from economic issues.

The conversion has sparked concerns about preserving cultural heritage and the site's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The Turkish government aims to make historical monuments available and promote cultural heritage and education.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for prioritizing Islamic heritage over other cultural layers.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The decision challenges Turkey's secularism, a founding principle established by Ataturk.

No--In 1934, Ataturk turned it into a museum, making it a major tourist attraction and secular symbol in Turkey.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia may marginalize Turkish citizens from minority religious backgrounds.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The government has announced an action plan to improve Roma living conditions, including free vocational training.

Hagia Sophia's conversion has sparked debate about Turkey's secularism and international relations.

Erdogan's Islamic priorities may have significant implications for Turkey's future and international relations.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The conversion is likely to significantly impact Turkey's EU accession bid and its international relations.