Istanbul: Turkey on Saturday rejected the criticism of the United Nations Culture Agency on the Respected Repentance of Istanbul Cathedral – Museums in a mosque as “bias and politics”.
Last year, Turkey changed the Hagia Sophia Bizantium-era cathedral to the mosque for the first time since 1934, triggered global anger.
Shortly after, he ordered another ancient Orthodox Church, the Savior in Chora, to a mosque.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee asked Turkey on Friday to submit at the beginning of next year the report on Hagia Sophia’s conservation state, expressed “great concern” for the consequences of repentance into the mosque.
It is said “highly regret the lack of dialogue and information” on changes in the status of two temples.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “rejecting the relevant articles about the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on the historical site of Istanbul understood driven by prejudice, bias and political motifs”.
Hagia Sophia and Chora belonged to the state and were protected “carefully,” he said, accused the United Nations from Turkish sovereignty violations.