Controversy in Turkey as Religious Body Approves Marriage to Quake Orphans

Turkey’s top religious body is under fire for issuing a fatwa that it is permissible for adopted children to marry their adoptive parents as the country tries to recover from a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Uproar in Turkey as religious body green lights marriage with quake orphans https://t.co/ziEzTBn7sk via @AlMonitor

Bigoted Israeli Rabbi Calls Deadly Turkey-Syria Earthquake “Divine Justice"

As the world grieves over the loss of life and property after the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, a top national Israeli rabbi stirred controversy by describing the disaster as “divine justice.”

Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Safed in northern Israel and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, wrote an article for the Olam Katan, a conservative, religious, and right-wing weekly newsletter.

Criminal Trial Exposes Child Marriage Practices in Turkey

A Turkish woman’s parents and husband are now on trial for child and sexual abuse charges after she was forced to marry her husband when she was six years old, bringing attention to religious sects in the Muslim-majority country.

Turkey begins child abuse trial that puts spotlight on the country’s religious sects (from @AP) https://t.co/5EFUx1x8UN

Imam's Demand that Wives Must Accept "Invitations to Bed" Sparks Outrage

A Turkish mufti (Muslim religious scholar) was under fire from Turkish Cypriots for suggesting that women should fulfill their duty to their husbands by accepting their “invitation to bed,” believing that his statement was a sign of imported encroachment of fundamentalist Islam in their secular community.

Mufti's talk of women's duties angers some Turkish Cypriots https://t.co/E2T8jnHp3z via @RNS

Turkish Sex-Cult Leader Sentenced to 8,658 years in Prison

A sex cult leader has been sentenced to 8,658 years in prison for the charges of sexual assault and depriving someone of their liberty after a retrial in Turkey.

Turkey sentences sex cult leader Adnan Oktar to 8,658 years in prison after retrial https://t.co/AnX3LVzRXj

— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) November 16, 2022

Turkish Minister Calls LGBT Rights "Terrorist Propaganda"

Turkey’s interior minister Süleyman Soylu describes LGBT rights as “terrorist propaganda” in a hateful speech to members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the northwestern province of Bilecik on November 12th.

Bus Driver's Refusal to Stop for Muslim Prayers Sparks Outrage in Turkey

A long-distance bus passenger in Turkey complained on Twitter that the driver refused to stop so he could pray, sparking a conversation about the majority Muslim nation and its secular constitution.

Turkey’s secularism debate ignites after bus driver refuses to stop for prayer https://t.co/pOnFUFZ2jj

— The Guardian (@guardian) November 8, 2022

"Inciting Hatred;" Turkish Pop Star Arrested for Joke on Religious Schools

On August 25, Turkish pop-star Gülşen was arrested, and she now faces charges of "inciting hatred and enmity" for a joke she made about religious schools in Turkey.

Turkish singer Gulsen arrested over religious schools joke https://t.co/1b4uwy92Iy

Turkish LGBT Activists Arrested for Defying Ban on Pride Marches

On June 26, despite banning Pride parades and other similar events, hundreds of people marched through the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, to demonstrate the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer communities. The Turkish authorities attacked and arrested many before the rally began.

Turkish Influencer Charged with Obscenity for Pictures of "Sex Museum"

Merve Taskin, a Turkish Instagram influencer, is expected to appear in court for publishing photos that were deemed to be obscene. The pictures in question came from a trip she took with two of her friends to the Netherlands to celebrate her 22nd birthday.