Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed what he has discussed with the Greek Prime Minister during his last meeting in Ankara on the occasion of Alexis Tsipras’ visit to Turkey.
Speaking in front of an audience in Adrianople, Turkish President Recep Erdogan said he raised the issue of the mosque in Athens, as a counter-response to the Greek request for the reopening of the Theological School of Chalki in Constantinople.
According to journalist Manolis Kostidis, the Turkish president said: “I told Mr Tsipras, you ask from us the Chalki Theological School. Let’s open I told him the Fethiye mosque in Athens”.
Erdogan said Alexis Tsipras replied that a mosque would be operating in Athens.
“I asked, why hasn’t the mosque you will open have a minaret? Here you can not stand the word Turk for the minority of Thrace”, said Erdogan.
“He told me that the opposition is reacting and I told him just like the church has bell towers, so the should the mosque have a minaret,” the Turkish President continued.
