As the city is the seat of Orthodox Christianity, it is obvious that any changes made by the secular state could have profound effects on the spiritual state of the Orthodox Church, including the autocephalous Church of Cyprus.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53232110But Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted that Athens had no say in the decision as the building was on Turkish territory.
"What we do in our country and with our property is up to us," he reportedly told Turkish broadcaster 24 TV.
I had a brief overnight stay in Istanbul and have posted a 10 minute video on YouTube at: