Hagia Sophia will be profaned by Erdogan

As mentioned, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Erdogan plans to organize a special prayer in the architectural masterpiece of orthodoxy that graces Constantinople, after the presidential elections of next August. Erdogan reportedly aims to organize a Muslim religious ceremony in the brightest symbol of orthodoxy and even to invite leaders of other Islamic countries, while he will attend the ceremony himself. He wants to integrate the provocative act in the annual celebrations for the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. The move is said to be in the midst of a broader "reform package" that will include steps in important issues from the opening of the Greek Orthodox Theological School of Halki up to giving legal force to the Alevi places of worship.

The act of desecration of Hagia Sophia probably will be organized as part of the events in connection with the anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, as Radikal reports. The government, however, has concerns about any reactions that would break out. Indeed, in the recent past, the vice president of the Turkish government, Bulent Arinc, has expressed his hope that Hagia Sophia, which now is a museum, sometime will be converted into a mosque. This provocative proposal meets the overwhelming natural reaction of our country, which characterizes it as a "violation of religious sensibility of millions of Christians".