The Kremlin hopes that Turkey will keep Hagia Sophia’s status as a UNESCO world heritage site in mind when deciding on the fate of the historic landmark, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “We by all means hope that Hagia Sophia’s status as a world heritage site will be taken into consideration,” he said.

“This is a world masterpiece beloved by tourists coming to Turkey from all over the world and especially by tourists from Russia who not only recognize Hagia Sophia’s tourist value but also it’s sacred spiritual value,” he added.

The spokesman noted that Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin had already made statements on this matter. Peskov added that the Kremlin cannot comment on Ankara’s decision itself. “This is the Turkish republic’s internal affair,” TASS quoted him as saying.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier a possible move to turn the Byzantine Christian church into a mosque again “is not unlikely.” A Turkish court heard a case aimed at converting the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque and will announce its verdict later this month.

Source: RT