Hosting NATO summit in Ankara ‘source of great pride, happiness’: Erdogan

“Praise be to God, we were granted the privilege of reopening the Ayasofya Grand Mosque for worship, whose sixth anniversary we are honoured to celebrate. Naturally, we are extremely happy about this,” he added.

Noting that Türkiye had not only reopened Ayasofya but also restored it, Erdogan said: “We were also granted the honour of restoring it to the Islamic world.”

The restoration and renovation work at the mosque was continuing, said Erdogan, adding: “The Ayasofya Grand Mosque, which opens its doors both to the Islamic world and to all humanity, to Christians and Muslims alike, naturally makes all of us very happy. We are truly proud to be experiencing that happiness today. With its architectural features and its place in the world, this place of worship is a truly unique monument and a truly exceptional sanctuary.”

On his telephone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over Spain’s football win in the World Cup, Erdogan said that it was entirely natural for Sanchez, as the prime minister of a world champion country, to experience such happiness.

“God willing, we too will one day be blessed with such a championship and achieve a world title. We started well, but it did not end well. In the future, there may be European championships ahead of us, or perhaps another opportunity to compete for the world championship. If we can achieve such successes, they would certainly suit Türkiye very well,” he added.