AKP says voters support Hagia Sophia conversion plans
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) claimed that most of its voters and a significant number of opposition voters agree with a government plan to reconvert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque.
AKP said a survey it conducted revealed that 90 percent of AKP and nationalist MHP voters, 70 percent of the right-wing IYI Party voters and 40 percent of the Kemalist main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) voters want to turn the museum and world heritage site into a mosque.
Turkey’s Council of State is expected to issue its ruling on the matter on July 2.
Built in the 6th century by Byzantine emperor Justinian as a church, the building was converted into a mosque after the conquering of Constantinople in 1453.
It 1923, Mustafa Kemal turned it into a museum.
