Greek tourist's provocative gesture in Türkiye's Hagia Sophia Mosque sparks controversy

Scandalous events continue to occur in the Hagia Sophia Mosque, the symbol of the Conquest of Istanbul, which was closed to worship for many years and intense struggles were made to reopen it.

Scandalous events continue to occur in the Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Fatih's legacy of conquest.

The scandalous photo shared by a tourist-looking provocateur who entered the Hagia Sophia Mosque recently, raising a Greek flag and saying "My beloved city, forever Greek" drew great reaction.

Historian Talha Uğurluel and History Professor Ahmet Şimşirgil heavily criticized the government and the Ministry of Culture, which attempted to distract Hagia Sophia from its origins with faulty policies.

Following the provocative incident in which the Greek flag was unfurled in front of the Hagia Sophia Mosque last June, the unfurling of the Greek flag in the section on the upper floor of Hagia Sophia, which was given to the management of a private company and can only be entered by purchasing a ticket, became the focus of reactions.

Historian-Author Talha Uğurluel, who criticizes the mentality that sees the Hagia Sophia Mosque as a commercial commodity, away from its original meaning,

"This structure cannot be compared to any mosque in Turkey, even the Sultanahmet Mosque. It has a political meaning, it has to be opened for worship with everything as Fatih Sultan Mehmed wishes. The upper floor of Hagia Sophia Mosque cannot be rented to a private company. It cannot be operated as a museum by the private sector," Uğurluel said.

"IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN, THEY WILL CONDUCT A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY TOMORROW"

Historian-Author Talha Uğurluel, who quoted the news of the provocation in which a Greek citizen raised a flag on the upper floor of the Hagia Sophia Mosque from the X account, "I said that this would happen in my video that I shot in front of Hagia Sophia Mosque on Sunday, January 21. Instead of seeing the mistake, they tried to silence our people by attacking them for lying and trying to manipulate our people who say wrong is wrong. And it was the first thing I said. If precautions are not taken, unfortunately, there is a possibility that we will see ritual scenes on the upper floor of the Hagia Sophia Mosque tomorrow," Uğurluel shared.