Pierrakakis raises Istanbul church conversion during Vatican visit

Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis has said he raised the conversion of a former Byzantine church in Istanbul, the Church of St. Saviour in Chora, into a mosque during his first official visit to the Vatican in Rome.

Pierrakakis was received by Pope Francis, whom he described as "a figure with international radiance, whose initiatives and actions consistently contribute to the pursuit of peace and stability."

In meetings with senior Vatican officials, Pierrakakis said he focused on the "unacceptable" decision to convert the church at Chora - as in the case of Hagia Sophia - into a mosque as being contrary to the principle of protecting monuments of world cultural importance.

The minister said both sides agreed to deepen their cooperation through concrete actions on issues such as the expansion of educational cooperation and...