Armenian Patriarch urges Christian space in Hagia SophiaJune 15, 2020 - 12:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, Patrik Sahak II, has joined the discussion over the potential re-transformation of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, stating that it is big enough for that purpose while suggesting a space for Christians. In a chain of tweets on June 13, the Patriarch said "may Hagia Sophia become a symbol of the peace of humanity in our era.” "May the world applaud our religious peace and maturity," he said in his tweets. The Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century at the time of the Christian Byzantine Empire and served as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church. It was converted into an imperial mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453. The structure was converted into a museum in 1935, during Turkey's period of strictly secular single-party rule. However, in the time since, there has been much discussion over converting it back into a mosque Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |