The Turkish Foreign Ministry has rejected the proposal of Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan to hoist a cross on the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar island. The request, which was initially addressed to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, was later on handed to the Foreign Ministry, which announced its decision on the issue.

"There is not a cross even at Hagia Sofia Temple, since it's a museum. The Church on Akhtamar will also function as a museum and hoisting a cross on its dome would be a wrong step," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, Marmara Istanbul-based newspaper reports.