Correspondent in Istanbul
For Erdogan, it's all about symbols.
And political calculation.
On Friday July 24, in the middle of a summer heatwave, the Turkish head of state came to recite, with a prayer cap on his head, verses from the Koran under the nave of Hagia Sophia, the historic basilica of Istanbul, converted into mosque.
For this controversial inauguration, tens of thousands of Turkish worshipers and Muslim pilgrims from abroad flooded the surroundings under close surveillance.
In Europe, indignation was at its height.
But in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, the gesture is either applauded or ignored - the opposition fearing to touch on religious issues - while in the Arab-Muslim world, many faithful welcome the initiative. .
“The Turkish president has made religion a political weapon.
Yesterday was Hagia Sophia.
Today, it is Saint-Sauveur-in-Chora
(recently converted into a mosque, Editor's note).
Its objective: to rally around
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