President Erdoğan signs the decree on re-opening of Hagia Sophia for worship

The Presidential Decree on re-opening of Hagia Sophia for worship by means of transferring its administration to the Presidency of Religious Affairs was published in the repeated edition of the Official Gazette.

It was reminded in the resolution that the 1934 numbered decree of the Council of Ministers on conversion of Hagia Sophia Mosque to museum was canceled by verdict of 10th Chamber of the Council of State.

Within this scope, it was stated that the administration of the Hagia Sophia Mosque was transferred to the Presidency of Religious Affairs pursuant to the Article 35 of the 633 numbered Law on the Establishment and Duties of the Presidency of Religious Affairs and decided to be re-opened for worship.

"We have abolished paid entrance condition as Hagia Sophia is no longer a museum," said President Erdoğan.

Erdoğan continued, "Hagia Sophia which is the common heritage of humanity is going to continue to embrace everyone with its new status, in a much more sincere and much more original way."

“We are planning to open Hagia Sophia for worship on 24th of July starting from the Friday prayer”

Additionally, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at 20.53 by addressing to the nation and evaluated the verdict of the Council of State about Hagia Sophia.

"We are planning to open Hagia Sophia for worship on 24 July 2020 starting from the Friday prayer by completing preparations quickly," said President Erdoğan in his speech.

Reminding that the Council of State canceled the 1934 dated regulation of the Council of Ministers which allowed Hagia Sophia to be converted to museum, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed that the Presidential regulation which was issued by basing on this now enables Haghia Sophia’s being re-opened as mosque. "In this way, Haghia Sophia is going to be able to give service again as mosque after 86 years as stated in Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han's endowment. I wish that this decision is going to be a good one for our nation, ummah, and the entire humanity," said Erdoğan.

Expressing that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has started the administrative and technical preparations for this subject and the religious preparations are being implemented by the Presidency of Religious Affairs, Erdoğan said, "After its being no longer a museum, we are abolishing the paid entrance condition for Hagia Sophia Mosque. Hagia Sophia’s doors will be, as is the case with all our mosques, wide open to all, whether they be foreign or local, Muslim or non-Muslim. With its new status, Hagia Sophia, the shared heritage of humanity, will continue to embrace all in a much more sincere and original way. We are planning to open Hagia Sophia for worship on 24 July 2020 starting from the Friday prayer by completing preparations quickly."

Erdoğan stated that it would not be right to be in a rush for visiting or coming to see it until 24th of July so that the activities in the mosque can be carried out rapidly and the preparations can be finished immediately.

"Because I heard about some persons’ coming and making demonstrations inside and outside, this is not a right behavior. With Allah’s permission, we are going to establish Friday prayer there altogether in 24th of July and re-open Hagia Sophia for worship on that day when all the preparations are going to be completed," said President Erdoğan.

"This is related to the sovereignty rights of Turkey"

Expressing that there are some more works to be done inside, Erdoğan continued, "With Allah’s permission we are going to complete all the works that are needed to be done and there are some preparations that we are going to carry out within 6 months. With Allah’s permission we are going to complete all of them within that period. The preparations we are making here are in such quality that Muslims, non-Muslim, Christians, whoever comes here are going to see that what we have done here has nothing to do with the gossips around, on the contrary, the only thing we do here is to hand down the heritage, which we took from our ancestors, to our next generation in the most beautiful way."

By inviting everyone to respect the verdict of judicial and executive organs on Hagia Sophia, Erdoğan continued his words as follows,

"Of course, we understand all kinds of opinions about this subject in international area. However, for which purpose to use Hagia Sophia is related to the sovereignty rights of Turkey. The fact that Hagia Sophia is being re-opened for worship with a new regulation is only a part of our country’s exercise of its sovereignty rights. That is to say, conversion of Hagia Sophia to mosque in accordance with Fatih’s endowment is not different from the right of determination of the flag, capital city, adhan, language, borders, and 81 provinces of Republic of Turkey. In this subject, people may express their opinions; however, all kinds of actions and expressions which go beyond this are going to be regarded as violation of our independence. For the time being, please have a look at behind me, there is a huge letter of endowment and this is the one which belongs to Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han. So we are going to abide by what is written in this letter of endowment.

Turkey does not interfere in other countries’ dispositions about religious places, so we are expecting the same understanding because we are protecting our historical and legal rights. What is more, this is not a right of 50-100 years, it has a past of 567 years. If a belief-centered debate is going to take place today, its subject should not be Hagia Sophia but should be Islamophobia and xenophobia which go up day by day all around the world."

Underlining the fact that Turkey’s decision is only about its domestic law and historical rights, Erdoğan expressed his thanks to all the political parties and their leaders, non-governmental organizations, and each member of Turkish nation who supported this decision.