We, the representatives of local and regional authorities from ten Member States of the European Union and members of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group at the European Committee of the ​Regions, express our regret at the decision by the Turkish authorities to convert the renowned Hagia Sophia museum in a mosque. We underline that this decision was a unilateral one and was not approved beforehand by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
 
In connection with the above, we call on the European Committee of the Regions, both the president of the institution and all political groups, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to issue a joint appeal to the Turkish authorities to reconsider its decision to adapt the ancient Christian basilica for the purpose of Muslim worship and to maintain the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum that is open to all.
 
We believe that only a strong, internally consistent and solidarity-based position by all EU institutions can help find a compromise on the issue of this historic place of worship in Istanbul.
 
Comments by the leaders of the ECR Group at the European Committee of the Regions:
 
President Władysław Ortyl: "Hagia Sophia was a Christian Orthodox cathedral for around one thousand years, later it was turned into a mosque and then, just before the start of the Second World War, a museum. The recent decision by the Turkish authorities to convert the place of worship back into a mosque is very disappointing not only for Christians, but also for all Europeans, for whom the cathedral was a place of dialogue among peoples and religions. Our political group therefore calls on the European institutions to take a clear position on the issue of respect for common heritage."
 
First Vice-president Rob Jonkman: "Since 1934, the Hagia Sofia has been a symbol of shared heritage for different religions. It is very regrettable that the decision has been taken to allocate this beautiful building exclusively to one religion".
 
Vice-President Marco Marsilio: "Our regret at seeing the Hagia Sophia museum turned into a mosque is even greater since many Islamic countries are condemning this unilateral act by the Turkish government. In one move, President Erdoğan has drawn upon himself the hostility of several Arab countries, the whole world's cultural institutions and the whole of the European Union. We are therefore calling on Turkey not to continue along this path but to restore to Hagia Sophia the role it has played thus far."
 
Vice-President Juraj Droba: “It is with great concern that we in Slovakia observe gradual withdrawal from the secular nature of Turkey. I am a strong believer in the rule of law and civil society, both being clamped on in Turkey these days.”