After the warnings of the Turkish historian about the possibility of the collapse of Hagia Sophia and the possibility of it being closed for restoration works, Turkish officials state that “so far there is no provision for the closure of the Hagia Sophia mosque” as Manolis broadcasts from the studio of SKAI Costidis.

CNN Turk journalist Serdar Er reported: “We are broadcasting from inside the Hagia Sophia mosque. Visits within the site continue as normal here. Our camera shows you the visitors whose numbers increase the most during prayer times. As you know, it was opened as a mosque by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself. In the interior there were some restoration works, but they were completed. Now they will start outside and that is why there have been discussions about whether the Hagia Sophia mosque will be closed or whether it will remain open.”

The vice-president of the directorate of endowment institutions Levent Cetin said: “So far, there is no provision for closing the mosque during the restoration work.”

Erdogan lashes out at the West and the US – “Terrorists have a crown on their heads”

“If the terrorists had survived, they would have been granted political refugee status in the West”

The Turkish president said: “Another example is the protection that Western countries provide under the mask of political refugees, to fugitives who committed a coup in our country and participate in terrorist activities. In recent days, we notice that some courts have also been used as a tool. If these killers had not been ‘neutralized’ and somehow escaped abroad, they would have been protected as political refugees and some would have put crowns on their heads.”

Challenges from Bakhtseli for Cyprus

Bakhtseli tries to ignore the Republic of Cyprus by saying that “the Turkish Cypriots should be called the ‘state of Cyprus'”.

Erdogan’s government partner spoke of the Turks’ doctrine of cooperation “from Budapest to the Caspian Sea”

Bakhtseli said: “The participation of the TRNC as an observer at the Summit of the Turkish States to be held next November in Kazakhstan will be a turning point for the recognition of the Turkish Cypriots. Now we don’t have to say ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, we have to say the State of Cyprus. The organization of Turkish states, which is the pinnacle of historical and cultural cooperation, will strengthen cooperation and brotherhood from Budapest to the eastern regions of the Caspian Sea.

Challenge of Greek island sovereignty by Yeni Safak

The pro-government Yeni Safak questions the Greekness of the islands in the Aegean: “In the Aegean there are islands, islets and rocky islets whose sovereignty has not been transferred to Greece. The big problem is that Greece wants to own all the islands and islets. Greece has military bases in Kastelorizo, Chios, Samos, Patmos, Psara, Arkios, Agathonissi, Farmakonissi, Symi, Rho, Kos near the Greek coast. The claim that the supply of munitions to the islands has stopped is unfounded.”

Guler: We want to solve the problems with Greece

The Minister of Defense of Turkey Yasar Guler stated that our goal is to resolve the problems in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking to Hurriyet, he said: “With our neighboring country, Greece, our efforts continue to maintain the positive climate that has developed recently. Our aim is to resolve our problems in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean in accordance with international law, good neighborly relations and the spirit of alliance.

We support the legitimate interests of our Cypriot brothers under any conditions. We emphasize once again that the confirmation of their acquired rights, their sovereign equality and equal international status is essential for us.”