Russian President Vladimir Putin recently had a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which the issue of converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque by a decision of the Turkish president was discussed.
In particular, and according to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin drew the attention of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to “the significant social impact caused in Russia regarding the decision to change the status of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
The President of Turkey gave relevant explanations, noting that access to this unique monument of world culture will be guaranteed for all those who wish to visit, including foreign citizens, while the Christian relics will be preserved.”
It is recalled that earlier Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Vershinin said that “Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked public outcry in Russia and beyond, but is an internal Turkish affair in which no one should intervene,” while highlighting the importance of this world cultural heritage site.
“You know that this issue has caused a public outcry in our country and beyond. In general, we consider this issue to be an internal affair of Turkey, in which neither we nor anyone else should intervene. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of building as a site that is part of world culture,” Sergei Vershinin told reporters.