Democratic initiative

A highly contentious proposal from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that would have legitimized some forms of child abuse was prepared without the necessary care but will return to parliament after gaining a wide consensus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

In his recent speech at the funeral of the killed district governor Fatih Safitürk, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan again referred to capital punishment. "It doesn't concern us what George or Hans said. What concerns us is what God has said. After a parliamentary decision [on capital punishment], I as the president would approve it." 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was perfectly honest and right when he said recently that "we have redefined democracy and shown the world how Muslims do politics." 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent developments on Syria during a phone conversation late on Oct. 5, days before they are set to meet in person in Turkey. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated the Jewish community's New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, on Oct. 3.

Erdoğan said Rosh Hashanah, which symbolizes new year in the Hebrew calendar, was the most important religious holiday in the Judaism and stressed "the guaranteed right of all Turkish citizens to live in accordance with their faith." 

EU member countries are largely responsible for the stagnation in Turkey's accession process, according to British MP Fabian Hamilton, who also drew attention to the demographic benefits of Turkey for Europe's future. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will call on world leaders to pursue a joint stance in the fight against terror without distinguishing between terror groups and to act in solidarity in addressing growing refugee problems during his meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. 

Turkey's Justice Ministry has founded a council to receive opinions from Alevi organizations upon the ruling party's pre-election promises and post-election 'action plan' on "traditional wisdom centers and cemevis," the state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Executives and representatives of Alevi associations in Turkey have submitted a legal complaint against the head of Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) for his recent remarks on not seeing cemevis, the Alevi places of worship, as equal to mosques. 

Granting a legal status to Alevi worship houses, known as cemevis, is a "red line" for Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), its head Mehmet Görmez has said, stating that "cemevis cannot be considered an alternative to mosques."