Biden: Turkey should retract Hagia Sophia decision

The Democratic candidate called on NATO and the US to press Turkey to stop provocations against Greece and Cyprus

U.S 2020 Presidential candidate Joe Biden called on Turkey to retract the decision to turn the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque in an exclusive statement to The National Herald.

“The Trump administration must press Turkey to refrain from any further provocative actions in the region against Greece, including threats of force, to create the space for diplomacy to succeed,” Biden said in an exclusive statement to the National Herald.

In his latest statement, Biden also called on Erdogan to reverse his decision to convert Istanbul’s Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, saying the former cathedral should remain a museum with “equal access for all, including the Orthodox faithful.”

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“I support the efforts of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and our European allies, as well as the United States, to defuse tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and avoid a conflict from emerging within NATO. Disagreements in the region should be resolved peacefully, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected.,” Biden said.

“The agreement to establish a military deconfliction mechanism and the resumption of diplomatic talks between Greece and Turkey are welcome steps in the right direction. I also applaud Congressional action to finally end the counterproductive embargo on nonlethal security assistance for Cyprus, which is a strategic partner for the United States.”

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