On 17 July, Erdoğan announced that the first prayers in the Hagia Sophia would be open to between 1,000 and 1,500 worshippers, and reiterated that the issue was a matter of Turkey's sovereignty and international reaction would not deter him.[142] Turkey invited foreign leaders and officials, including Pope Francis,[143] for the first prayers which was held on Friday on July 24 2020, in the Hagia Sophia.[144]