Ankara: Concerns about religious freedom in Turkey have been growing since early June, when a new law gave the Diyanet the right to ban translations of the Quran that do not comply with its interpretation of Islam. According to Deutsche Welle, Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs, known as the Diyanet, is one of the country's most influential authorities. It employs over 140,000 people and offers religious services in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1924, the Diyanet has reported directly to Islamic-conservative president Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2018. With an annual budget of approximately £3 billion ($3.47 billion), it surpasses several ministries, including the Ministry of Interior. The Diyanet manages 90,000 mosques across the country, organizes Quran courses, cultural events, annual pilgrimages, and coordinates slaughters for the Feast of Sacrifice. Additionally, it trains imams and deploys them both domestically and internationally. Its foundation operates in 150 countries, reaching millions through educational programs and scholarships worldwide. Critics allege that the new law amounts to censorship, describing it as state-enforced Islam that endangers religious freedom. Prominent theologian Sonmez Kutlu views it as a declaration of bankruptcy by the state, arguing that a country with over 100,000 Diyanet employees and more than 100 theology faculties should protect the Quran from allegedly problematic translations via intellectual and scientific methods rather than bans. He warns that publications containing translated verses that allegedly contradict the fundamental characteristics of Islam could lead to investigations and prosecutions. Theologian Ihsan Eliacik criticizes the Diyanet's new authority as a fundamental violation of the faith, stating, "In Islam, no institution is allowed to stand between people and Allah. However, the Diyanet's review of the Quran for truthfulness does exactly that." Eliacik's own translation of the Quran was previously banned by the Diyanet, though he successf ully appealed to the Constitutional Court. However, under the new legal provisions, pursuing similar actions is no longer possible. In recent years, theologians critical of the government, including Eliacik and Kutlu, have repeatedly faced smear campaigns by pro-government brotherhoods and Islamist orders. Theology professor Omer Ozsoy from the Goethe University in Frankfurt suspects these religious orders' growing influence on the government is behind the new law. Ozsoy notes that these circles have been openly opposing academic, critical, and pluralistic theology at Turkey's Islamic theological faculties for about a decade, conducting systematic campaigns against high-profile theologians. The new law could potentially be applied broadly with repressive and politically motivated interpretations, Ozsoy fears. He mentions reports from translator colleagues that the Diyanet has already prepared to impound a total of 12 translations, including those by Mustafa Oztrk and Edip Yuksel. The Quran, originally writ ten in Arabic, requires translations to make the texts accessible to millions. These translations inherently contain interpretations, especially in ambiguous passages, making them a sensitive topic. The importance of Quran translations in non-Arabic-speaking countries like Turkey has increased, with lay believers now reading and interpreting the Quran independently, a shift attributed to critical thinking and the emergence of various movements and social currents. Ozsoy highlights the rise in Turkish Quran translations, noting many translators lack professional qualifications. This issue is widely discussed among experts, with extensive academic literature on the topic. Religion remains a focal point of Turkish social discourse. Young people, in particular, engage in reading scripture and questioning many theories, a concern for the government. President Erdogan has consistently emphasized his desire to raise a "pious generation." However, recent studies by the opinion research institute KONDA reveal a decl ine in those identifying as religious, dropping from 55% in 2018 to 46% now, while the proportion of atheists or non-believers has risen from 2% to 8% in the same period.
Friday, April 24, 2026