SOCHI, December 29. /TASS/: Moscow sees Turkey’s willingness to keep the famed Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior, which have been converted into mosques, in respectable condition and guarantee access to these sites to members of all religions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday following talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
"We highlighted our Turkish colleagues’ willingness, which has been confirmed more than once, to keep Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Church of the Holy Savior, which have been added to the list of world cultural heritage sites, in proper condition and ensure access to these religious sites to members of all religions," he noted.
On July 10, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree enabling the famed Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine-era architectural monument, to be used as a mosque. Some Local Orthodox Churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, voiced their regret over the decision, along with UNESCO.
On August 21, Turkey officially converted the Chora Monastery in Istanbul into a mosque. The Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, which is part of that monastery, has been opened for Muslim worship.
