Police across the country recorded 159 hate crimes targeted at Muslims, up from 45 in 2012, representing an increase of 253 per cent. In just one year, between 2014 and 2015, that number increased by 59 per cent: from 99 in 2014 to 159 the following year.
President Erdogan declared the building a mosque and said the first prayers would be held there within two weeks [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
Turkey to cover Hagia Sophia's Christian icons during prayers
Governing party's statement comes days after Ankara turned the iconic monument from a museum into a mosque.