Turkish imam asks congregation to 'prepare their weapons' on election night

While delivering the Friday sermon in a mosque in Istanbul, an imam named Murat Gündoğdu called the congregation to “prepare their weapons” on the night of run-off presidential election on May 28, and added “my two guns are fully loaded.”

Sunday May 21 2023 08:41 pm

Duvar English

A Turkish imam working in the Cebeci Mosque in Istanbul’s Sultangazi district called the congregation to “prepare their weapons” on the night of run-off presidential election on May 28.

While delivering the Friday sermon, imam Murat Gündoğdu said to the congregation that “Prepare your weapons. Prepare your weapons on May 28 night. My two guns are fully loaded. What is this we suffer from them (the opposition)? For 80 years, what has this country suffered from them, from Armenian progenies?,” the daily BirGün reported on May 21.

İmam Gündoğdu’s remarks stirred a reaction among the congregation of the mosque, as well as on social media as the footage of the moments spread.

On the other hand, it was learned that the citizens complained about Gündoğdu defending the government and making party propaganda during almost every Friday sermon.

After the reporting, the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) on May 21 announced that they launched an investigation into the incident.

BASIN AÇIKLAMASI

Bazı medya mecralarında yer alan, İstanbul’un Sultangazi ilçesindeki bir camide yaşandığı iddia edilen görüntülere ilişkin Başkanlığımız tarafından derhal soruşturma başlatılmıştır.

Kamuoyuna saygıyla duyurulur.https://t.co/RliJdpCd1f pic.twitter.com/SnkUBH1WgU
— Diyanet (@diyanetbasin) May 21, 2023

Turkey held parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14. In the presidential elections, Erdoğan officially received 49.52% of the votes, whereas Kılıçdaroğlu received 44.88%. This is the first time Turkey will experience a run-off election on May 28.