‘No terror or terrorist would emerge from mosques’, claims Turkey’s president Erdoğan

While it is known that thousands of people have been dismissed from Turkey’s Presidency of Religion Affairs (Diyanet) with accusations on ‘terror ties’, Turkey’s President and head of AKP, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said: “No terror or terrorist would emerge from mosques”.

Arguing that the growth of the Fethullah Gülen community to an extend where they were able to attempt a coup took place due to ‘weaknesses’ of the Presidency of Religion Affairs (Diyanet), Turkey’s President Erdoğan said: “No terror or terrorist would come out from mosques”.

However, thousands of people have been dismissed from their positions at Diyanet through emergency decrees since last year as they were accused of having ties to or being members of what is now called ‘Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)’.

Speaking at an event organized to mark the completion of a summer program of the Diyanet for children in eastern and southeastern regions, Erdoğan called on the youth and said: “I see that some people express at various platforms some sort of hopelessness with regards to the new generations (in Turkey). On the contrary, I am hopeful about the new generation: about you! God willing, you will carry our country and nation to levels even more advanced than today. For this, we have trusted in you in realization of visions for years 2053 and 2071. We are not going to see those years but hopefully you will see and live through those years in Turkey”.

Targeting Turkey’s second largest opposition party HDP (People’s Democratic Party), Erdoğan referred to the votes they won during the national elections of 2015 and said: “They had a little bit of success in June 7 election and they, then, immediately called people out to streets, causing 53 people to die. Weren’t you the representatives of Kurds?”

Mentioning the names of three Kurdish politicians in his party AKP (Justice and Development Party), Erdoğan continued: “Supremacy is not related to being a Kurd or a Turk. Whoever is closer to God is the supreme one!”

Also referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Erdoğan claimed that ‘there would be no terrorist coming out of mosques’ and said: “It is obvious that the aim of the organization (PKK) is to isolate our children in the region (east and southeast) from both schools and mosques in order to turn them into slaves and robots for their own perverted ideology. Because, they know that no terror or terrorist would emerge from mosques, mascids, minbars, mihrabs, and preaching platforms in mosques”.

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/erdogan-camiden-terorist-cikmaz-173438.html