Turkey’s top cleric addresses religious matters meeting

By Sefa Sahin

ANKARA

The head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate said Tuesday the current belief problems stand as a global issue that affects all humanity, according to a statement from the group.

Prof. Ali Erbas made the comments during an address at the 9th Current Religious Matters Consultation Meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, the faculties of theology and Islamic sciences and the Turkish Education Ministry, have important duties in explaining religion correctly, he said.

“We have two expectations from the consultation meeting in general. The first is putting the case in full simplicity; while fighting against anti-religious movements, showing an approach for winning without making any pressure,” he said.

“The second,” Erbas said, “is aimed at for those who practice religion or not”.

The three-day meeting expects to present “preventive measures” for “internal structure of [belief]” and will discuss atheism, agnosticism, nihilism and deism.