Statement from Diyanet President Erbaş regarding his remarks on Balkan immigrants

Diyanet President Ali Erbaş continues to be a subject of public discussion. This time, Erbaş's statement regarding Balkan immigrants has drawn backlash.

Erbaş had previously used the following words: "Are there not people who have forgotten that they came from the Balkans... who get goosebumps when 'Arab, Arabic' is mentioned, friends? Are there not movements in Turkey—I won't name names—that say, 'We will kick you out, we will send you away,' and even prevent tourists from the Middle East from coming? Racism is forbidden in our religion. Our Prophet says, 'He who practices racism is not one of us.'"

ERBAŞ STATED HIS WORDS WERE DISTORTED

Erbaş noted the following in a post on his social media account:

"The beginning and the end of the answer I gave to a question from young people about why our perspective on the Balkans and the Middle East is different have been cut, distorted, and served to the media with malicious intent. As I stated in my answer to the young people, our Balkan immigrant brothers and sisters are respected and honorable children of our homeland; so much so that after migrating from the Balkans in different periods, they have integrated with Anatolia in every region of Turkey. We have become one family, we have integrated. Of course, it is different from Middle Eastern migrations. One of the examples is my own family. I am from the Black Sea region, my wife is of Balkan origin. We established a family as children of the same culture and civilization. The important point is that the difference between migrations can never serve as a basis for racist actions and rhetoric."

The beginning and the end of the answer I gave to a question from young people about why our perspective on the Balkans and the Middle East is different have been cut, distorted, and served to the media with malicious intent. As I stated in my answer to the young people, our Balkan immigrant brothers and sisters are the... of our homeland

— Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş (@DIBAliErbas) May 5, 2024

News Source: AA