President Erdoğan defends top cleric in homosexuality row

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shown support to the head of the country's top religious body who stirred controversy after claiming that homosexuality and fornication were the "causes" of diseases.

"The Presidency of Religious Affairs [Diyanet] is a state institution. As you know, its head made a statement. With this statement, he fulfilled his job in line with his faith and scholarship. What he said was totally right," Erdoğan said after a cabinet meeting late April 27.

Diyanet head Ali Erbaş drew backlash after he said homosexuality and consensual sex between unmarried adults were the causes of diseases during a Friday sermon on April 24.

"Islam accepts adultery as one of the greatest harams. [Islam] curses Lot and homosexuality," Erbaş said, referring to a Quranic story of a tribe that ended up being condemned to punishment due to homosexuality.

"Hundreds of thousands of people every year are exposed to the HIV virus caused by this great illicit, which is adultery and illegitimate and unmarried life in Islamic literature. Let's fight together to protect people from such evil," he stated.

Along with a number of non-governmental organizations, the Ankara Bar Association slammed Erbaş in a strongly worded statement that accused the top cleric of inciting the public to hatred and animosity. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on April 27 launched an investigation against the Ankara Bar Association on charges they "insulted the religious values adopted by people," while senior ranking government officials have criticized the bar for "insulting Islam."

Erdoğan also slammed the bar, saying it has no authority to issue a statement on a religious matter.

"The tone [of the statements...