Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden's call on Turkey to reverse the decision on Hagia Sophia, during his speech at the Rotunda Monument in Thessaloniki on Wednesday afternoon.
"The Trump administration must pressure Turkey to refrain from further provocative actions in the region against Greece, including threats of violence, to pave the way for the success of diplomacy.I also call on Turkish President Erdoğan to reverse his recent decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque and return this treasure to its former location as a museum, ensuring equal access for all, including Orthodox believers," Biden said.
His comments come less than a month until election day.
The Greek Prime Minister stressed "it is very important that just yesterday the former Vice President of the United States and presidential candidate, Joe Biden, joined his voice with the global wave of protests for its transformation into a mosque. He called on Turkey, in an explicit manner, to restore its character as a monument to all humanity."
Referring to the “Empress Theophano Prize” Mitsotakis said: “Today we have the celebration of Europe and its values and I am glad that the award will be received by the President of the Commission, even if online, she is the right person to convey to Brussels the honour that Thessaloniki bestows on her and the future of our common homeland”.
“It is an award named after a powerful 10th-century woman in the hands of a dynamic and leading 21st-century figure,” he added.
