A Turkish Court Ruling Could Turn Saint Sofia into a Mosque

Turkish government newspaper Yeni Safak writes that an upcoming decision by the country's government would allow museums that functioned as mosques during Ottoman times to become Muslim places of worship again, Kathimerini reported.

The Turkish Supreme Administrative Court is currently awaiting a ruling on whether the Chora Museum in Edirnekapi, a former Byzantine church, cannot be used as a mosque.

A positive court ruling may pave the way for a similar decision by the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sofia, the Turkish newspaper commented.

Ankara has repeatedly threatened to turn the Byzantine cathedral into a mosque. In March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was possible to "change the name of a museum to the Saint Sofia Mosque.

Erdogan's proposal provoked discontent in Greece, as the cathedral built in the 6th century was the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church. It remained so until it was converted to a mosque in 1453 after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman troops.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, transformed the temple into a museum in 1935, which attracts millions of tourists every year.

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