No place for Atatürk in Diyanet's calendar that cost 61.6 million

The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) did not mention Atatürk in the 3 million 115 thousand calendars it prepared for 2025, for which it spent 61 million 677 thousand TL.

According to a report by Deniz Ayhan from Sözcü, the calendar page for August 30 Victory Day included the phrases "Victory Day, the Great Offensive concluded in victory, Commander-in-Chief Battle," but did not mention Atatürk's name.

The back of the calendar page, where Atatürk is not mentioned, stated the following:

“The month of August has witnessed many victories in our glorious history. We remember the Battle of Manzikert on August 26, 1071, which opened Anatolia to Islam and made it a homeland for our nation. We commemorate the Commander-in-Chief Battle, which concluded with the victory of August 30. It is to be tightly knit around the values that make us who we are and make us a nation.”

A similar situation occurred in Diyanet's Friday sermon. While the sermon celebrated the victories of Manzikert and August 30, it stated, "Our noble nation has demonstrated this by calling its soldiers 'Mehmetçik' (little Muhammad), viewing its army as the hearth of the Prophet, and sacrificing its property and life in its path," but did not make any reference to Atatürk.

REACTION FROM CHP

CHP's Burhanettin Bulut criticized this stance by Diyanet, stating, "Even if you do not mention his name, Atatürk will live on in the hearts of this nation."