The new generation of Turkish passports will feature updated designs, including a drawing of the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine cathedral turned mosque, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an address to the nation.
Erdogan has officially transformed the architectural gem of Istanbul from museum to the mosque in 2020 year, which was a highly controversial decision that drew international criticism, but appealed to its conservative supporters.
As expected, Turkey’s decision to decorate passports with the “captured” Hagia Sophia has outraged the Greek media, talking about “another Turkish provocation”.
According to President of Turkey, the new passports will also include drawings of the Topkapi Palace and the country’s old parliament building.
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