Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the nation rejects the comments which infringe its sovereignty.
The Minister also said on Monday that the country will inform the United Nation’s cultural body UNESCO about changes to Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sophia.
On Friday, a Turkish court ruled that the building’s conversion to a museum in 1934 was unlawful and President Tayyip Erdogan, declaring it a mosque, said the first prayers would be held there within two weeks.
UNESCO said on Friday it would review the status of the monument as a World Heritage Site following Erdogan’s enouncement.
Asked about criticism and expressions of concern from Greece, Pope Francis, and others, Cavusoglu said the decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque was lawful, Arab news reported.
“We respect everyone’s view even if we don’t agree with it but we strongly reject comments made in a way that infringes on Turkey’s sovereign rights,” he said.
Greece condemned the decision on Friday, saying it would have repercussions not only on relations between the two countries but on Turkey’s ties with the European Union. Pope Francis said on Sunday he was hurt by the decision.
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