"In an article that aimed to trace Erdogan's moves this year in the run-up-to the Presidential elections this summer, the Turkish newspaper Radikal, and its author Omer Sahin, reveal that Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is considering organizing a special prayer in this historic for Christianity architectural setting ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in August. The move, claims the author, is expected to come amid a wider "reform package" that is going to contain important steps on several thorny issues, from the opening of the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary to giving legal status to Alevi cemevis as official places of worship. Read more by clicking HERE"In a follow-up to the story, we discovered that the turmoil between the Gulen movement and Erdogan’s government caused -and the news supporting that the ruling party plans to convert Agia Sophia to a Mosque- has also raised quite a bit of controversy in Turkey.
In fact Turkish newspapers that support Erdogan’s government contradict the arguments on which the campaign of Gulen is based – the controversial and suspiciously rich Turkish Imam who lives in exile in the U.S. (and who is said to be working with US intelligence) – by saying that behind the rumors of converting Agia Sophia into a mosque underlies the intention of Gulen to rise up the international community against Erdogan's government.
One such example is the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, which recently published an article against those people inside and outside of the Turkish government who plan on doing just this: Converting this historical for Christianity building into a mosque. According to the article, a large majority of Turkish public opinion is opposed to the plans.
Even though the news is good for Christians worldwide, we must also question the political motives behind this move by both the Erdogan and the Gulen movement since it is quite clear that they are both manipulating our sentiment over this controversy.
The article also notes that the possibility of once again coverting the symbol of Christianity into a mosque is something that does not sit well with Turks, and the press which has over the last few weeks (or since a corruption scandal broke out in Turkey) about their government’s so called hypocrisy.
Hurriyet Turkish journalist Ertugrul Ozkok clearly notes his outrage:
“Is this the main problem of Turkey in the 21st century? A country where every day calls to prayer are recited from its 80,000 mosques, where prayers are performed five times a day, will now go and re-conquer one of the biggest symbols of the Orthodox world. Would you have enjoyed it so much if a mosque at the center of Europe was converted into a church?”He concludes by saying:
“The Fethullah Hoca I know of would not be pleased by such things,” the journalist continues implying clearly that some people credit the former spiritual ally and now great enemy of Erdogan with thoughts that he does not aspire.
“If the rumours are true, it simply does not suit the community. If they are true, then all the messages of dialogue and mutual understanding that they have been conveying in the international platform up to today were nothing more than simple hypocrisy, Friends, Istanbul has been in the hands of Turks for 560 years. It has been one of the monuments of the country for 90 years, the population of which is 99 percent Muslim. What more, what else are you going to prove, and to whom? In the middle of 80,000 mosques are you now focusing on a Christian church? Shame, shame on you…”.
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