Ankara hails anti-racist protests in US

Turkey's ruling party spokesman on June 3 hailed demands for equality as anti-racist protests continue in the country after the killing of African-American man George Floyd. 

Turkey is against all groups trying to turn legitimate protests in the US violent and bring public order under their destructive influence, said Ömer Çelik, spokesman for the AKP, after a party board meeting. 

The U.S. has been facing protests since last week when a video went viral showing Floyd being pinned down by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as he was being arrested.

Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. 

Shortly after, Floyd appeared to lose consciousness, but Chauvin maintained his position on the victim. 

He died shortly after being taken to a hospital. 

His last words were "I can't breathe," which became the slogan of the nationwide protests. 

Conquest Feast at Hagia Sophia

Rejecting criticism by the Greek Foreign Ministry's on the event that Turkey organized to mark the 567th anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of the former Byzantine capital, Çelik said such a celebration was held by respecting a world heritage without insulting anyone.

Çelik said having an enmity on the basis of religion is not even a matter of discussion in Turkey, adding: "But the only state in Europe that prohibits the call to prayer (adhan) from their minarets is Greece."

"The only European Union member without a mosque in its capital is Greece," he said. 

On May 29, Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized Conquest Feast at Hagia Sophia in coordination with the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications as part of celebrations throughout the day of the...

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