Society tensed again over religious issue

A person named Mehmet Erol Muavili, who visited the Apostolos Andreas Monastery to guide tourists, approached a priest at the monastery and recited the Islamic testimony of faith (Shahada). He shared the footage on social media, further intensifying the religious tensions within the community.

As reactions began to escalate rapidly, Mehmet Erol Muavili quickly deleted the post.

APOLOGY TO THE PUBLIC

Following the removal of the video, Muavili made a new post on his social media account, explaining that he had taken down the video to prevent it from being misinterpreted and apologized to the public if his post contained any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Dursun Oğuz also made a statement regarding the incident.

OĞUZ: LEGAL ACTION INITIATED

Emphasizing that legal action has been initiated, Oğuz stated the following in his announcement:

"Today, a video was captured and shared at the Apostolos Andreas church located in Dipkarpaz, which is considered an important religious site in our country. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognizes various religious freedoms and practices. Respect for religious beliefs and lifestyles is of utmost importance and is a sensitive matter. However, divisive, provocative, harassing situations, and behaviors are unacceptable. Therefore, a complaint has been filed with the police department through the district governorship to initiate necessary legal action regarding this behavior that aims to disrupt social harmony within the framework of respect for religions and cultures."