At the opening of the Aia Sophia Mosque, the Turkish Religious Affairs Administration responded to allegations that the founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was being read aloud.
The statement came from Ali Arbash, head of the department, Gadin.Net reports quoting the Telegraph.
After the mosque was granted the status of a mosque, on July 24, Ali Arbash led the first prayer in Aia Sophia. In his Friday sermon, Arbash said, "In our belief, the property of the foundation is inviolable, it burns the one who touches it, the condition of the founder is irrevocable, and the one who chews it is cursed."
After that, Arbash, who was the target of sharp reactions, made a statement on the issue, saying that this claim was not true: “Ataturk died 82 years ago. We pray for the dead, not the wicked. ”