Tension reported at the Diyanet: 'There is a limit to being a donkey' remark sparks controversy
The first appointments made following the appointment of Safi Arpaguş to the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) have sparked controversy within the institution. Remarks made by Abdurrahman Haçkalı, who was appointed as the head of the High Board of Religious Affairs, during a past dispute have resurfaced.
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Safi Arpaguş, who was appointed to the Presidency of Religious Affairs with the approval of President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, made new appointments to the High Board of Religious Affairs immediately upon taking office.
According to a report by BirGün, these appointments to the 16-member High Board of Religious Affairs have caused a significant stir within the institution.
Abdurrahman Haçkalı, who held the same position during the tenure of Ali Erbaş, has been reappointed as the head of the Fatwa Board, known as the sole authorized body of the Presidency regarding fatwas.
“THERE IS A LIMIT TO BEING A DONKEY” TENSION
Diyanet sources stated that Haçkalı has faced backlash within the institution due to certain past controversies. It is alleged that during an incident on a VIP bus carrying the Diyanet's top-level delegation in Mecca, Haçkalı called back the bus, which had departed without waiting for the group that included the then-president Ali Erbaş, and upon boarding the vehicle, used the phrase, “There is a limit to being a donkey.”
Sources indicated that this incident was discussed for a long time by some administrators within the institution and that Haçkalı had not been able to achieve full harmony with the management.
The preference for Lokman Arslan, who has no history on the board, over Hüseyin Arı, who received the highest number of votes in the High Board of Religious Affairs elections, has also become a subject of debate in Diyanet circles.
Sources expressed that this choice is being evaluated as “one of Safi Arpaguş’s biggest strategic mistakes.”
Diyanet sources pointed out that there may be harmony issues among the members of the newly formed board. Sources commented, “People who are incompatible with each other will gather to issue new fatwas according to Turkey's developing conditions. The lack of any harmony among them seems to be a harbinger of wasted time.”
“PERHAPS HE WILL BE THE PERSON WITH THE SHORTEST TENURE AS PRESIDENT”
Evaluating Safi Arpaguş’s presidency, Diyanet sources expressed that they are hopeful about the new president but that the structure he has established will be highly debated.
Sources stated, “There is no issue among organization members or the public regarding the person of the new president, Safi Arpaguş. However, the structure he has established will be heavily debated in the coming days. Perhaps he will go down in history as someone who had the shortest presidency of the Diyanet.”