Pope's remarks 'to accelerate Hagia Sophia's conversion into mosque'

Pope Francis? labeling of the mass killings of the Ottoman Armenians as ?the first genocide of the 20th century? will only accelerate the reopening of Hagia Sophia to Muslim worship, the top Islamic official in Ankara has suggested.

?Frankly, I believe that the pope?s remarks will only accelerate the process for Hagia Sophia to be re-opened for [Muslim] worship,? Professor Mefail H?zl?, the mufti of Ankara, said in a written statement released late April 15.

According to H?zl?, the pope?s statement ?has reflected a modern color of the crusader wars launched in these lands for centuries.? These lands have long been the ?standard bearer? of the Muslim world, meaning many enemies, both from inside and outside of the country, have been launching attacks with different methods.

?The statement that the Catholic world?s spiritual leader pope delivered three days ago, saying Armenians had been subjected to a genocide, is extremely spectacular,? H?zl? said, noting that the pope?s statement was intruding on the realm of historians and was hastily made.

H?zl? did not touch on the precise relationship between Francis, the leader of the world?s Catholics, and the Haghia Sophia, which served as a Greek Orthodox basilica until the Turkish conquest in 1453.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians were killed in a genocide starting in 1915. Turkey denies that the deaths amounted to genocide, saying the death toll of Armenians killed during mass deportations has been inflated and that those killed in 1915 and 1916 were victims of general unrest during World War I.

Stressing that all sides, not just Armenians, suffered in Anatolia 100 years ago, H?zl? also recalled that the theme of the 2015 Holy Birth Week, marking the...