content tagged with religious affairs

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek rejected a proposal by opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) deputy Hüseyin Aygün to open a “cem house” (Alevi house of worship) in Parliament, citing a “fatwa” (religious decree) issued by the Directorate of Religious Affairs.

Prof. Dr. Sancar pointed out that the religious authorities in Turkey were civil servants employed by the state.