Austria Calls Turkish Plan To Turn Hagia Sophia Into Mosque 'Step Away From Europe'

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg criticized Turkey on Friday for taking a step toward converting iconic Hagia Sophia museum into a working mosque, saying it alienated Ankara from Europe.

"We deeply regret today's decision of Turkey to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque and cannot comprehend it! The removal of its museum status that made it accessible to all cultures and religions is another step away from Europe," he was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry.

Austria has been a vocal critic of Turkey's bid to enter the European Union since accession talks began in 2005. Unhappy about delays, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been increasingly pushing for a bigger role of islam in the nation's life, including by turning the nearly 1,500-year-old Istanbul landmark into a mosque.