President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
As Turkey’s Christians celebrate a new church, religious minorities still call for respect
By David I. Klein — October 27, 2023
ISTANBUL (RNS) — Though he has allowed new houses of worship to be built and old ones to be reopened, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan needs to do more, observers say, to restore respect for a truly pluralistic society as much as for church property.
Afghan Taliban suspend all activities of Swedish aid groups over burning of Islam’s holy book
By Munir Ahmed — July 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The announcement left a Swedish non-governmental aid group perplexed about the future of its programs in Afghanistan, which provide education and medical facilities to thousands of people across the country.
Thousands protest in Iraq for a second day over burning of Quran in Sweden
By Ali Jabar and Nabil Al-jurani — July 3, 2023
BASRA, Iraq (AP) — The protests came a day after hundreds of protesters briefly stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad.
Turkish pop star jailed over joke about religious schools
By Associated Press — August 26, 2022
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkish singer and songwriter Gulsen was arrested on Thursday on charges of “inciting hatred and enmity” for a joke she made at an Istanbul concert in April, sparking outrage on social media.
Who is Fethullah Gulen? And why is the US talking about extraditing him to Turkey?
By Claire Sadar — January 4, 2019
(RNS) — For more than two years, the U.S. and Turkey have been at odds over the fate of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Muslim leader living in the hills of Pennsylvania.
Turkish-financed mosques in Europe allegedly spying for Erdogan
By Tom Heneghan — April 19, 2017
PARIS (RNS) European lawmakers are calling for tighter restrictions on the mosques, which critics say keep diaspora Turks from fully integrating.
Turkey post-coup crackdown also targets US Protestants
By Jerome Socolovsky — December 4, 2016
ISTANBUL (RNS) Analysts say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been targeting American Christians in retaliation for United States’ failure to extradite cleric Fethullah Gulen, as demanded by the Turkish government.
Thick beats thin every time
By David P. Gushee — December 1, 2016
(RNS) If we don't like Donald Trump's version of thick American nationalism and national loyalty, we must offer an equally thick but more compelling alternative.
Turkey’s leader says US has ‘no excuse’ to keep imam blamed for coup
By RNS staff — August 24, 2016
(RNS) The Turkish government has long said it wants the imam extradited. Now the request is official.
Turkish religious movement gave suspicious US campaign donations
By Paul Singer — November 24, 2015
WASHINGTON - All the donors appear to have ties to a Turkish religious movement named for its founder, Fethullah Gülen, which has been accused by the Turkish government of attempting a coup in that country.
Turkey’s Erdogan chides Obama for silence on N.C. Muslim murders
By Reuters — February 13, 2015
MEXICO CITY — "If you stay silent when faced with an incident like this, and don't make a statement, the world will stay silent towards you."
Turkey plans to establish an Islamic university with a broader Muslim curriculum
By Michael Kaplan — December 23, 2014
ISTANBUL (RNS) Political unrest continues to sweep Egypt and Syria, once hubs for Islamic learning, and more students are turned off by Saudi Arabia’s more literalist interpretation of Islam. This gives Turkey an opening.
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