The issue of Hagia Sophia and the case of its conversion or not into a mosque are maintained in the first topics of its news by the Turkish media.
In a move that is not just coincidental, as the announcement of the decision on its future is approaching, with many Turkish media even reporting that this could happen even tomorrow, Friday, Ankara insists on its decision to turn Hagia Sophia in a mosque, this time leaving behind the aggressive rhetoric adopted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In particular, today Ibrahim Kalin gave an interview to the Anadolu News Agency, in which he stressed that its conversion into a mosque does not detract from its value.
Dedicating a very large part of the interview on this subject, Kalin said, among other things, that "the opening of Hagia Sophia in a mosque does not detract from the value of Hagia Sophia as a World Heritage Site", while he hastened to clarify that "more people will be able to visit it ".
He said both the Blue Mosque and the Fatih Mosque and Sulaimaniyah function as both mosques and museums, and said that the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris operates in the same way, both as a church and as a church. as a museum.
"Ask the representatives of our Christian and Jewish communities, they will tell you that there is no discrimination in Turkey against anyone," he said.
Intense reactions from American, Russian and Greek officials
The prospect of such an action has caused concern among US, Russian and Greek officials ahead of the verdict of Turkey's Supreme Administrative Court, which held a hearing on the issue last Thursday.
What the Turkish Council of State is looking at is the legitimacy of the decision taken in 1934, ten years after the creation of the modern Turkish People's Republic by Mustafa Kemal, to turn the building into a museum.
However, the intention on the part of Turkey alone has provoked strong reactions from Christian associations, metropolitans and Orthodox churches, as well as various states, which express their opposition.
The United States, France and Russia are some of the countries that have called on Turkey not to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque, while Archbishop Jerome, Patriarch Cyril and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem have spoken out against such a decision. These are just a few of the dozens of interventions that may have led Turkey to a shift from its conflicting tactics.
Turkish media: On Friday, the decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque
It is recalled that since yesterday, there has been intense mobility in the Turkish media, with many of them -mainly pro-government- discounting the unanimous decision of the CoE, with some emphasizing that the decision will be announced most likely on Friday 10 July.
In particular, they announced the final decision of the Turkish Supreme Administrative Court on the fate of Hagia Sophia. According to them, it is believed that the decision will be in favor of the return of the museum of Hagia Sophia, in its "previous use", ie the Muslim mosque.
According to the information, the Turkish Supreme Administrative Council is oriented - and even unanimously - to annul the decree of 1934 that made the Hagia Sophia a museum by decision of the then Council of Ministers and with the signature of Kemal Ataturk, and will issue a decision in its favor. its conversion into a mosque, that is, the continuation of the regime of the Muslim mosque that it had as long as it belonged to the institution of Muhammad the Conqueror, which had been established by him after the Fall of the City in 1453.
It is noted that if the information is verified, it will mean that the opinion of the Rapporteur of the Turkish Supreme Administrative Court was not taken into account. Ataturk was not a forger, as the plaintiffs' party, the Permanent Monuments and Bacchus Association, argued.
Various articles state that the decision will be announced this Friday and that a relevant fiesta will probably be organized on the occasion of the events for the coup attempt on July 15.
AKP Vice President: We hope Hagia Sophia opens for prayer before July 15
Earlier yesterday. AKR ruling party vice-president Numan Kurtulmus voiced hope that the Hagia Sophia would open as a mosque on July 15, the anniversary of the failed coup against Erdogan.
"It simply came to our notice then. If you ask me, I would like it to open even today. It is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. I hope justice will be done. We expect Hagia Sophia to open as a place of worship, "he told reporters.
"Interesting behind-the-scenes information on Hagia Sophia by Okan Müderrisoğlu: the decision is ready to be clarified," Yeni Akit writes, noting that Sabah journalist Okan Müderrisoğlu told NTV information about the Hagia Sophia that is expected to reopen as a mosque.
In particular, he said that the top board unanimously assesses that the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a museum is illegal and that it will return to its previous status as a mosque. The court decision - according to him - is in the process of drafting.
"The countdown has begun"
The president of the Union of Journalists and International Social Media (USMED), Mehmet Ardic, said in a Twitter post that the Supreme Administrative Council was seeking to repeal the 1934 decree that made Hagia Sophia a mosque and that the Supreme Administrative Court would decision in favor of its conversion into a mosque.
"The Council of State unanimously annulled the decision of Hagia Sophia dated 27.11.1934. It must become a mosque. The dot has entered. "The countdown has begun," he wrote.
Source: tanea.gr