Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinc again hinted at the imminent possibility of reopening the Islamic worship, the Ayasofya Museum in Istanbul. This was announced by Turkish press sources consulted by Fides Agency. The statements made by the deputy prime minister arrived on November 16 on the occasion of his participation at the inauguration of a carpet museum that are part of the artifacts kept in Ayasofya, recently restored by the Turkish General Directorate of Foundations. The influential Turkish political leader reiterated that in his eyes the ancient place of worship – the Byzantine basilica of Santa Sophia, converted to a mosque in 1453 and then into a museum by Kemal Ataturk in 1935 – today appears “sad” , while soon it will be “joyful” again when it returns to host the prayers of Muslims.
According to Arinç, the use of places of worship for other purposes has been prohibited by various laws. The Turkish parliament, in recent months, has agreed to consider the different applications submitted for the redevelopment of the museum in the mosque of Ayasofya in Istanbul.
Here we go again. Read Agenzia Fides’ full report here: