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| Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Presidency of Religious Affairs) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı |
| Native name | Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı |
| Formed | 1924 |
| Headquarters | Ankara |
Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Presidency of Religious Affairs) is a Turkish state institution responsible for regulating Islamic worship and administering religious services across the Republic of Turkey. It operates within the framework established after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the foundation of the Republic under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and it interacts with institutions such as the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Turkish Constitutional Court, Ministry of Interior (Turkey), and provincial administrations in Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir. The institution’s remit touches on issues linked to figures and bodies including Süleyman Demirel, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Necmettin Erbakan, Adnan Menderes, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, and international partners like Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, European Union, and United Nations.
The office traces its origins to reforms during the early Republican era following the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate and the closure of the Shaykh al-Islām office; the founding in 1924 was contemporaneous with legislative acts passed by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and reforms associated with Kemalism. Throughout the Republican period the body has evolved through interactions with political actors such as İsmet İnönü, Celâl Bayar, Turgut Özal, and Bülent Ecevit, and events including the 1960 Turkish coup d'état, 1980 Turkish coup d'état, and constitutional changes in 1961 and 1982. Its adaptation to socio-political shifts involved engagement with movements and parties like the Justice and Development Party (Turkey), National Salvation Party, and civil society organizations inspired by figures such as Fethullah Gülen and critics from the Republican People's Party milieu.
The institution’s internal hierarchy includes regional directorates in provinces such as Antalya, Bursa, Konya, and Samsun, and specialized departments covering theology, legal affairs, personnel, and finance, mirroring structures found in other state agencies like the Ministry of Justice (Turkey). Leadership appointments have been made by presidents and cabinets involving presidents such as Abdullah Gül and Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the office coordinates with organizations including the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs-linked overseas missions and mosques in cities like Berlin, Brussels, London, New York City, and Bonn. Administrative procedures reference legislation passed by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and are subject to oversight by the Court of Accounts (Turkey).
Mandated duties encompass administration of mosques in provinces including Ankara Province, İstanbul Province, and Gaziantep Province, appointment and training of imams, preparation of religious guidance and sermons, and issuance of fatwas and guidance documents used by worshippers, institutions, and public schools. The body issues materials that intersect with Turkish law, interacts with institutions such as the Ministry of National Education (Turkey), and communicates with religious authorities in countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, and Malaysia. Its rulings and educational stances have implications for public debates involving personalities like Süleyman Soylu and policy arenas influenced by legislative texts from the Turkish Penal Code and civil law instruments overseen by the Constitutional Court of Turkey.
The organization produces textbooks, sermon outlines (hutbe) for Friday prayers across mosques in districts such as Kadıköy and Üsküdar, and scholarly works by authors and theologians associated with universities like Ankara University, İstanbul University, Marmara University, and Selçuk University. It publishes periodicals and translations involving classical works by figures such as İbn Sina, Al-Ghazali, İmam al-Ghazali, İbn Taymiyyah referenced in academic debates, and collaborates with publishing houses and cultural institutions linked to cities including Konya and Edirne. The institution also organizes conferences and training in cooperation with academic faculties, professional associations, and civil society networks reflecting influences from thinkers like Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî and modern scholars.
Overseas outreach includes administration of mosques and cultural centers in European capitals such as Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Madrid, cooperation with transnational bodies like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, collaboration with religious councils in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo, and participation in interfaith forums alongside delegations from the Vatican, World Council of Churches, and Jewish organizations in Jerusalem. The office’s diplomacy engages ministries and foreign missions from countries such as Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, and agencies including the European Commission and NATO for community outreach and cultural exchange.
The institution has been subject to critique from political parties like the Republican People's Party, civil society groups, and academics over perceived politicization, budget increases, and positions on social issues debated by figures such as Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Ahmet Davutoğlu. Controversies have involved debates over curriculum content linked to universities like Hacettepe University and Boğaziçi University, disputes over foreign deployments in Germany and the Netherlands involving municipal authorities in Frankfurt and Rotterdam, and public disputes related to statements referencing historical events such as the Armenian Genocide and regional tensions involving Syria and Iraq.
Funding sources include allocations approved by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and budgetary oversight mechanisms involving the Court of Accounts (Turkey), with expenditures for construction projects, personnel payroll for imams, and international cultural centers in cities like Moscow and Tunis. Financial scrutiny has been raised by opposition figures, audit reports, and media outlets in Ankara and Istanbul concerning transparency, procurement, and the scale of overseas operations, prompting discussions in parliamentary committees and among legal scholars referencing Turkish public finance law.
Category:Religious organisations based in Turkey Category:Organizations established in 1924