Advocacy groups condemn Erdogan's Hagia Sophia festivities

Three US-based organizations have reacted to the fiesta organized by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Friday outside the Byzantine-era cathedral Hagia Sophia on the occasion of the 567th anniversary of the Turkish conquest of Constantinople.
The Hellenic American Leadership Council, the Armenian National Committee of America and In Defense of Christians, an advocacy group calling for religious equality in the Middle East, released the following statement:
"In Defense of Christians (IDC), the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) called on UNESCO to respond to Turkey's continued threat to violate Hagia Sophia's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and convert the museum into a mosque.
This week, the Erdogan regime targeted Hagia Sophia - or the Church of the Holy Wisdom - as part of its long-time...