Diyanet

According to Turkey's top cleric, the Turkish nation's verdict has precedence over a verdict by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which recently found Turkey guilty of violating Alevis' right to religious freedom and discrimination by withholding public funds for Alevi worship houses "with no objective and reasonable justification." 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has attended the opening ceremony of a culture center and mosque in the United States, while he was in the country to attend the Nuclear Security Summit. 

Turkey is full of political controversies, and not all of them are really significant. The recent controversy over a luxury Mercedes car bought for the head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs ("Diyanet" in Turkish) was arguably significant, though. 

Not because of the car, nor because of the Diyanet, rather because of what it exposed regarding the political mentality in power.

A Muslim cleric has for the first time in 85 years recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous landmark of Istanbul which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque, reports said Saturday.

Turkey?s Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has included the al-Aqsa Mosque into the religious Umrah program that will be effective as of April 15.

One of the Muslim pilgrimages, the Umrah, which is not compulsory but is highly recommended for Muslims who can afford it, will also include the visiting of the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel.

Turkey's Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has included the al-Aqsa Mosque into the religious Umrah program that will be effective as of April 15.

One of the Muslim pilgrimages, the Umrah, which is not compulsory but is highly recommended for Muslims who can afford it, will also include the visiting of the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel.