Police officers walk in front of Hagia Sophia, or Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 11, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Tuesday described Turkey's decision to convert the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to a mosque as "unnecessary and petty" and called for tougher European Union action over Ankara's gas exploration activities in the Mediterranean.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's move to switch the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque has struck a raw nerve with many Greeks, who revere the sixth century building as a focal point of their Orthodox Christian faith.
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