International

The Chora Orthodox Church in Istanbul was reopened and turned into a mosque

The Greek Foreign Ministry condemned the official reopening as a mosque on Sunday of the Chora Museum, a former Greek Orthodox religious site in Istanbul – a move that echoed the controversial reopening of the landmark Hagia Sophia as a mosque four years ago.

“The Turkish authorities’ decision to begin the operation of the Monastery of Chora as a Muslim mosque constitutes a provocation for the international community as it distorts and affects its character as a UNESCO World Heritage Site belonging to humanity,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Built in the 4th century as the Chora Church, the building was converted into a mosque around 1511 following the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire, becoming a symbol of the empire’s might. In 1945, it was transformed into a museum by the Turkish government.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then issued a decree in August 2020 to convert it into a mosque again. Under the same decree, Erdogan also ordered the opening of the Hagia Sophia Museum as a mosque.

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Presidential elections in Romania// Over 80 thousand Moldovans with Romanian citizenship voted in the Republic of Moldova
Elections

Presidential elections in Romania// Over 80 thousand Moldovans with Romanian citizenship voted in the Republic of Moldova

A record number of Moldovans with Romanian citizenship participated in the presidential elections in Romania. According to real-time updated data, by 9:00 p.m., approximately 81 thousand Moldovans with Romanian citizenship voted in the 59 polling stations open in the Republic of Moldova. Voters from our country are among the most active in the diaspora.

Moldovan winemakers won 90 medals at the “Vinul Moldovei” national contest
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Moldovan winemakers won 90 medals at the “Vinul Moldovei” national contest

Moldovan winemakers won a total of 90 medals at the third edition of the national contest “Vinul Moldovei” (‘Wine of Moldova’) held on November 21 and 22 in Chisinau. Among the awarded wines, 8 received the Grand Gold Medal, 73 wines were awarded Gold Medals, and 9 received Silver Medals.

They tried to cross the border with undeclared currency. Two people, documented by the authorities
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They tried to cross the border with undeclared currency. Two people, documented by the authorities

Two individuals are under criminal investigation after attempting to leave the Republic of Moldova with undeclared cash. These incidents were reported by the Border Police at Chisinau International Airport.