President Erdoğan: Türkiye is a model country for freedom of religion and conscience
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that “Türkiye is a model country where everyone enjoys freedom of religion and conscience, where religious communities can sustain their own institutions, and where mutual respect prevails.”
President Erdoğan met with representatives of religious minorities at an iftar program held at the Presidential Complex.
In his speech at the event, Erdoğan expressed his pleasure at gathering with the guests at this meaningful iftar table where they could share the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan.
He emphasized that Ramadan is a special time when bonds between people grow stronger, sharing and solidarity increase, and the spirit of brotherhood is reinforced. Erdoğan said, “At a time when wars, conflicts, divisions, suffering, and injustice dominate the global agenda, I believe the image of unity, togetherness, and solidarity presented here tonight is very meaningful.”
Erdoğan noted that the lands of Anatolia have long been a meeting point of civilizations where different faiths coexist, and where mosques, churches, and synagogues stand side by side in the same streets. He continued:
“Tonight, around the same table, distinguished representatives of the Rum Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, Catholic, and other communities have come together. I thank each of you for accepting our invitation. I would like to emphasize that you represent not only your own communities but also Türkiye’s multicultural and multi-faith social structure.
The essence of these lands is a culture of living together. The spirit of these lands is mutual respect. The memory of these lands is brotherhood. The great Turkish poet Yunus Emre expressed this beautifully: ‘I read the meaning of the four holy books and memorized them; when it came to love, I saw that it was a single long syllable.’ The essence of the matter is this: to love the created for the sake of the Creator. No one has the right to divide people created by God into categories or to discriminate based on race, sect, or belief.”
“For the first time in the history of the Republic, a new church was built during our administration”
Erdoğan pointed out that significant steps have been taken in this regard over the past 23 years.
“We introduced important regulations regarding the return of properties belonging to community foundations. Through reforms in foundation laws, we expanded the rights of these institutions. Many churches and places of worship that had long been neglected were restored and reopened for the use of their communities. We also provided serious facilitation in meeting the need for religious officials within these communities. For the first time in the history of the Republic, a new church was constructed during our administration.”
Referring to the Syriac Church opened for worship in Yeşilköy, Istanbul, Erdoğan described it as a strong symbol of religious freedom in Türkiye.
He added that they are pleased to see citizens of different faiths actively participating in academia, bureaucracy, business, and politics. Erdoğan cited as examples the recent appointment of a citizen of Armenian origin as a district governor and the presence of Armenian members of parliament in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
“Together with you, in a spirit of unity and cooperation, we will continue to strengthen this positive climate in the coming period,” he said.
Erdoğan also stated that despite these realities, certain international circles sometimes criticize Türkiye unfairly regarding religious freedoms.
“Those who place hostility toward Türkiye at the center of their political agenda have no credibility in our eyes. Türkiye is a model country where everyone enjoys freedom of religion and conscience, where people can freely practice their beliefs, and where communities can maintain their own institutions in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
The visit of the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Pope Francis, to Türkiye is an important example of this. Both the prayer program in İznik and the religious ceremony held in Istanbul were carried out with the support and facilitation of our state.”
“Islamophobia is a serious threat to people and to the culture of coexistence”
Erdoğan also drew attention to the fact that the world today is facing serious problems such as discrimination, hate speech, and marginalization.
“In recent years, the rise of Islamophobia has posed a clear threat both to our people and to the culture of living together. As Türkiye, we oppose all forms of discrimination and continue to combat them with determination both domestically and internationally.
Likewise, we have no tolerance for dark organizations similar to ISIS, which bomb places of worship without distinction between mosques, churches, or synagogues. As I always say, just as Islamophobia is a crime against humanity, antisemitism is also a crime and an unacceptable evil.
Our goal is clear: to build a Türkiye where everyone living in these lands feels equal, free, and secure.
Erdoğan said he sees the evening’s iftar gathering as a symbol of this vision and thanked the representatives of religious minority communities for attending. He also expressed his hope that Ramadan would bring peace, prosperity, and blessings to the country, the nation, and all humanity.
Representatives of 21 minority communities attended the iftar
The iftar program was attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, President of Religious Affairs Safi Arpaguş, Presidential Chief of Staff Hasan Doğan, Presidential Secretary General Hakkı Susmaz, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Chief Advisor on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Presidential Culture and Arts Policy Board Member Aram Kuran, Director General of Foundations Sinan Aksu, AK Party Central Executive Board Member Sevan Sıvacıoğlu, and Kosovar Hafiz Egzon İbrahimi.
Those attending the program included Patriarch Bartholomew, Armenian Patriarch of Türkiye Sahak Maşalyan, Chief Rabbi of Türkiye David Sevi, Syriac Metropolitan Yusuf Çetin, Papal Representative to Türkiye / Latin Catholic Metropolitan Massimiliano Milano, Archbishop and Metropolitan of İzmir Monsignor Martin Kmetec, Syriac Catholic Metropolitan of Türkiye Orhan Çanlı, Spiritual Leader of the Armenian Catholic Community in Türkiye Vartan Kerabaydzar Kirakos Kazancıyan, Kadıköy Metropolitan Emanuel Adamakis, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia (Hatay) Antuan Ilgıt, Mardin Syriac Metropolitan Mor Timotheos Samuel, Chaldean Church Archbishop Sabri Anar, Head of the Armenian Foundations Union Platform Bedros Şirinoğlu, President of the Balıklı Rum Hospital Foundation Konstantin Yuvanidis, President of the Turkish Jewish Community Erol Kohen, President of the Jewish Community İsak İbrahimzadeh, President of the Syriac Foundation Kenan Gürdal, President of the Mor Gabriel Foundation Kuryakus Ergun, Deputy President of the Kadıköy Rum Foundation Lena Kaçi Açık, President of the Armenian Catholic Foundation Antuan Sultanoğlu, and President of the Syriac Catholic Foundation Münir Üçkardeş.”
Source:AA
