Religious Affairs Directorate

Debate stirred after university botanical garden is allocated to Turkey's top religious body

The allocation of Istanbul University's Botanical Garden to the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) in 2015 for the use of the Istanbul Mufti's Office has stirred a debate in Turkey, with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) blasting the move. 

Turkey's top religious official Görmez signals resignation

Head of Religious Affairs Directorate, Mehmet Görmez signaled he will leave his post.

"After the duty as head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, the only post we will demand will be science," Görmez said on July 26, answering questions from reporters in regards to whether or not he will leave.

Pregnant Syrian woman, baby brutally murdered in Turkey laid to rest in Syria's Idlib

A pregnant Syrian woman and a baby who were brutally murdered in Turkey's northwest were laid to rest in Syria's Idlib on July 9. 

Nine month pregnant Emani el-Rahmun, 20, was raped and killed with her 10-month-old son Halaf el-Rahmun in Sakarya's Kaynarca district on July 6, causing outrage across Turkey. 

Former head of Turkey's top religious body slams TV evangelists

Ali Bardakoğlu, the former head of Turkey's top religious body has slammed popular TV evangelists for "abusing Islam" for commercial purposes. 

Bardakoğlu, who headed the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) between 2003 and 2010, told daily Hürriyet on May 29 that religious TV shows during Ramadan presented a distorted image of Islam. 

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