The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking to members of his party (AKP), went so far as to claim that Mehmed the Conqueror “was also the leader of the Orthodox Christians”!

This unbelievable statement was made by Erdogan in the context of his new statements about Hagia Sophia and his decision to turn it into a mosque.

“Hagia Sophia can be visited by everyone, as well as the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Suleymaniye Mosque. Mehmed was also the leader of the Orthodox Christians. We have an orthodox church. Hagia Sophia was already a mosque, it was turned into a museum and now it has become a mosque again”, said the Turkish president.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said that “the historic building will be preserved”.

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The Turkish president also referred to telephone conversations he had with leaders to whom he said that “we will protect Hagia Sophia, which everyone will be able to visit for free”.

Finally, responding to MPs who requested his presence the previously announced prayer of July 24th, Erdogan said “there is no need for such an invitation. The call to prayer is an invitation to all. We will all be there together”.