Armenian Church condemns Turkey's Hagia Sophia decisionJuly 14, 2020 - 16:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Church has condemned Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque as "a politically motivated move that will greatly damage the mutual understanding and dialogue between religions." In a statement published Tuesday, July 14, the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II, called on Turkish authorities to reconsider the decision and return to the principle of "a peaceful prayerful coexistence of different religious communities" in the country. The Catholicos described Turkey's decision as "one-sided and deplorable" which he said violates the rights of national religious minorities in the country. According to the religious leader, the policy of the Turkish government evokes grave memories of the desecration and destruction of Armenian sanctuaries and those of other Christian nations by the Ottoman authorities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on July 10 that he would turn the building back into a mosque, fulfilling a longtime promise of his. The famous landmark, built as a cathedral during the Byzantine Empire, stood as a place of worship for Greek Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and Muslims for centuries before to being turn into a secular museum in the 1930s. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. |