ISLAMABAD-Istanbul,Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday rejected criticism over his willingness to convert Istanbul's famed Hagia Sophia landmark into a mosque.
"Charges against our country over Hagia Sophia are a direct attack on our right to sovereignty," Erdogan said.
Turkey's top court is considering whether the emblematic site and former cathedral can be redesignated as a mosque, prompting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday to urge Turkey to keep the site in its current status as a museum.(AFP/APP)