The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglou, spoke at the Delphi Economic Forum about the use of the issue of Hagia Sophia.
Asked if he agrees to make the Hagia Sophia a mosque, Mr. Imamoglu distanced himself from the Turkish government's handling, saying he regretted an issue like this being instrumentalized for the sake of the domestic political scene.
"These are issues that need to be tackled with sensitivity, taking into account history and religion," said Imamoglu, noting that both Turkey and the rest of the world face bigger and more serious challenges.
Ekrem Imamoglou participated in an online discussion with the mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis. The two mayors agreed to meet in the immediate future, citing city diplomacy that often has the power to bridge gaps and differences, they said.
"Greeks are emotionally attached to Istanbul and I am glad that you see our cooperation positively," Costas Bakoyannis told Ekrem Imamoglou.