Sunday, November 14, 2010

Head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Is Dismissed; May Be Due to His Failure to Implement Changes

The Worldwide Religious News website reports today (November 14, 2010) that the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate has been abruptly dismissed -- perhaps because of his failure to implement radical changes.

Ali Bardakoglu ran the body for seven years. He will be replaced by his deputy, Mehmet Gormez.

Although secular, Turkey is deeply involved in religious life, with the directorate -- known as Diyanet -- responsible for managing some 78,000 mosques and a bureaucracy that is exceeded only by the military and the education system in terms of size and budget.

The Diyanet plays the most important role in shaping Turkish religious life.

No comments:

Post a Comment