Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his inflammatory rhetoric following remarks he made on Sunday about his intention to turn Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.

Addressing a partisan crowd in a pre-election campaign gathering in Constantinople, Mr Erdogan stepped up the rhetoric saying the name of the city (Istanbul) would never change back to Constantinople, adding that the whole area would be renamed to “Islam bol” meaning “abundant Islam”.

“Constantinople will not return. The name of this region is “Islam Bol” (abundant Islam) and you know this. And that will also go ahead, it will continue”, Erdogan told his audience.

“I was recently asked a question on television with regard to Hagia Sophia: Should they still pay? And so I told them no. We can make the entrance to Hagia Sophia free of charge. And what does that mean? Not only allow fee entrance but after the elections, we will abolish the term “museum” and we will make it into a Mosque”, he said.