Hagia Sophia may function as mosque-museum - Erdogan

By Trend:

Hagia Sophia may function as a mosque-museum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media.

Erdogan said that Hagia Sophia may start to function as a mosque-museum after the municipal elections to be held March 31 in Turkey.

On March 16, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on the terrorist attacks in mosques in New Zealand, said that Hagia Sophia won’t function as a mosque.

Erdogan noted that some forces want to provoke Turkey in light of the statements by a terrorist in New Zealand about Hagia Sophia.

Erdogan stressed that the Turkish authorities are well aware of what and when to do.

Fifty people were killed and dozens were seriously injured after gunmen opened fire at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on March 15. Four suspects were detained.

An Australian citizen of ultra-right views Brenton Tarrant, a native of Australia's Grafton fired at one of the mosques. He streamed the attack online, and before the attack, published a 37-page manifesto, in which he called his actions a terrorist attack.