Ankara's decision on Hagia Sophia does not help to establish a logical dialogue between the European Union and Turkey, said the German Foreign Minister and chair of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers. during the current semester Haiko Maas and stressed, among other things, that the issues with the drilling of Turkey off the coast of Cyprus and Crete must be resolved.
"The transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is not a contribution to the reconciliation between the peoples. "It's a decision we can not understand, as the importance of this unique building, with its status as a World Heritage Site, extends far beyond Turkey," Mr Maas said in an interview to be published tomorrow in the Rheinische newspaper. Post ”and“ General-Anzeiger ”and stresses once again that a logical dialogue between Turkey and the EU is necessary. "Ankara's decision on Hagia Sophia does not help much in this. Already without this additional conflict, a forward-looking dialogue between the EU. and Turkey is hindered ", he points out characteristically.
Mr. Maas also states that other points of contention must be resolved, such as the Turkish drilling off the coasts of Cyprus and Crete, while, regarding the future status of Hagia Sophia, he notes that UNESCO will decide which effect will have the measures of Turkey in its status as a World Heritage Site. "But I hope that things will develop in the near future so that not even the Hagia Sophia regime is threatened," said the German foreign minister.
Source: RES-EAP