Erdogan's Statement in English is the Same

After Erdogan released a statement on the decision to transform the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia into a mosque, social media users claimed that his message in the Arabic language is different from the one in the English language.

Claims were circulating across the MENA region. Users on social media also claimed that the Arabic version statement talks about Erdogan reviving the Muslim heritage and mentions Al Aqsa, while the English statement talks about openness and welcoming.

Spot the difference.



Erdogan in English: Hagia Sophia's doors will be, as is the case with all our mosques, wide open to all, whether they be foreign or local, Muslim or non-Muslim.



Erdogan in Arabic: Revival of Hagia Sophia is a sign towards return of freedom to AlAqsa mosque. pic.twitter.com/6Niid8fP8J

— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) July 11, 2020

Erdogan released a statement both in Arabic and in English about reforming Hagia Sophia into a mosque. You might not be surprise, but the message he send in Arabic is completely different from the one he send in English. Seems like Erdogan learned from Aljazeera's guidelines 🙄 pic.twitter.com/asxoynAhc1

— Tamir Friedman - تمير فريدمن - תמיר פרידמן (@TamirFriedman) July 11, 2020

#Erdogan🇹🇷 toys on Arabs’ emotions in his Arabic statement:

reviving #HagiaSophia is:

- a step towards the liberation of Aqsa

- a new dawn/hope 4Muslims from the oppressed & exploitation

-Anduls &Bukhara civilizations

While says none of that in EN to keep his Western gods happy. pic.twitter.com/I0G0ZZSpIp

— Dr Areej Hussain (@asfoor_jenan) July 11, 2020

The Arabic version of Erdogan’s statement on Hagia Sophia is all about it being preliminary to liberating Al Aqsa while the English version is about sovereignty and accepting other points of view https://t.co/FkNEFWAFPf

— Kareem Shaheen (@kshaheen) July 11, 2020