In his remarks marking the sixth anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque for worship, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “We were blessed with the honour of reopening Hagia Sophia for worship. This is a source of great joy for us.
Remembering the late poet and author Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, President Erdoğan said that during rallies they attended together, Kısakürek would point to Hagia Sophia and proclaim, “Hagia Sophia will reopen. One day, Hagia Sophia will reopen.”
"Not only did we reopen it, but we were also given the honour of restoring it to the Islamic world. Thanks be to Allah, we fulfilled the aspiration that the Master so wholeheartedly expressed on that day,” said President Erdoğan, noting that they were marking with great joy the sixth anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque for worship and that restoration and structural strengthening works at the mosque were ongoing. He added:
"The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, which opens its doors to the Islamic world and to all of humanity — Christians and Muslims alike — makes us all very happy. This house of worship is a truly remarkable monument, both for its architectural features and for its standing in the world."
President Erdoğan said that implementing Türkiye's decision to reopen Hagia Sophia for worship was a source of great pride for them, and extended his greetings and affection to the entire Islamic world on the occasion.