A tale of two Turkeys: Society torn between religion and secularism

Turkey is torn between the deeply secular heritage of its founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the state religion now promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government is trying to impose its views through psychological pressure and a revised educational curriculum, but is meeting strong resistance. Our Istanbul correspondent Shona Bhattacharyya reports.
Subscribe to France 24 now:
f24.my/youtubeEN
FRANCE 24 live news stream: all the latest news 24/7
f24.my/YTliveEN
Visit our website:
www.france24.com
Subscribe to our KZbin channel:
f24.my/youtubeEN
Like us on Facebook:
/ france24.english
Follow us on Twitter:
/ france24_en

[@rossellinirossicalrossc3507]

“Can you separate being a Turk from being a Muslim”... I think that was the whole point of Ataturk... 🤔

[@minzblatt]

Without religous Turks fighting the cause, no Atatürk. BTW, Atatürk was the surname he chose for himself before he ruled the 'republic ' with iron rule and one party North Korea style.

[@petergriffinmk2884]

@@minzblatt Kinda like Erdogan today?

[@rossellinirossicalrossc3507]

@@minzblatt wtf are you talking about, Ataturk was all about DEMOCRACY. He advocated for it throughout his entire life.

[@rossellinirossicalrossc3507]

@Mr k he was creating a secular state, not Christian, not Muslim, no religion in politics. He has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity. Read a book

[@precursors]

@@rossellinirossicalrossc3507 Well, I am a Turkish citizen and I don't call myself a muslim. Though you will find all kinds of trolls and government supporters spamming messages here. Ataturk didn't call himself "Ataturk", that was a name given to him by the parliament. Ataturk passed a lot of laws to advance the society into 20th century and while he did those with one party, he encouraged multiple parties and left a multiple party democratic parliament. Unfortunately Turkey's (and Ottoman Empire's) past is littered with the incursions of religious sects into governing the society. These sects have risen to power like never before in 500 years. They're doing everything to stain Ataturk's legacy, and even try to erase him from memory.

[@kingbaba1981]

If this guy is a really historian , you can call me Herodotus.

[@soli8615]

Hi Herodotus.

[@e.a9751]

Sup

[@TvGunslingeRvT]

Herodotus

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Herodotus, you are not up to definition of a modern historian yourself. Why do you judge others?

[@huribesler7828]

Herodotus not a historian ,he is story teller .History and story different things .

[@hakanozaslan9571]

I am Turkish, I am a Muslim and I think it was wrong to revert the Hagia Sophia/Ayia Sofya back into a mosque! It stands for the history of Greece and Turkey and should remain a place of culture for either peoples memory! I would even go so far to let Greek Orthodox ppl to celebrate their holidays in it and let Muslims do the same in our holidays!

[@hakanozaslan9571]

@Brother if there is a community of muslim brothers and sisters, I agree. But fact is, our motherland has still many Orthodox Christians. They love our shared country and culture and I think they should have the right to have their churches as we do have our rights for a mosque.

[@hakanozaslan9571]

@Brother Of course there are more muslims in all the Balkan countries combined but there are several countries in the Balkans and each country has differently sized muslim minority population. It still doesnt change that i said "YES" they need the old moques. PLUS I am talking about Turkey, not Russia, not Bulgaria or Greece.And my first comment is about my opinion about the Hagia Sophia.

[@kylian6849]

As an islamist I agree,that haigia Sophia should be church,But i think Erdoğan did it To spite france and Christian nations and show his power

[@hakanozaslan9571]

@@kylian6849you mean muslim, nobody calls himself an Islamist 😅

[@erdoganbicer3500]

Why should we care about like 0,5% orthodox christians opinions I wonder.

[@princeobayemidaniels1690]

Who else think that historian is not making sense

[@derrickrose8069]

He's not Historian. It's fake. Nobody ever knows him in Turkey.

[@i.k.8868]

@@derrickrose8069 What the hell does that mean. There are thousands if not tens of thousands of historians in Turkey (people who have studied history and are working as history teachers, archeologists, writers, etc. Why is an unknown historian "fake" ?

[@derrickrose8069]

@@i.k.8868 Because what he says is not what public says. The fact that he doesn't even know what majority of the people say makes him fake. France 24 tried very hard to find most retarded so-called historian in the Turkey, whom nobody knows. I can also find 1 so-called historian in France who talks all retarded and negative things about France.

[@chailouai3084]

@@derrickrose8069 most turks voted for Islamic Erdogan so this historian isn't expressing an unpopular opinion

[@derrickrose8069]

@@chailouai3084 Most Turks? Go learn some math. %41 people voted for Erdogan. %59 of Turkish people didn't vote for Erdogan. Knowing Math does wonders.

[@EEE-tt8eg]

i was a religious guy and this government made me an atheist

[@nuux1560]

The government isn't really religious; it's political and civilisational with the use of religion as a tool. There is a difference; Islamism is not the same as Islam. That's why Iran has an Islamist government, but the Turkey has a more religious population. At the same, Turkey's secularism has not always been liberal; in fact it has a dictatorial aspects, which is in turn responsible for the rise of an Islamist response. Secular Turks need to understand where they are failing, and why Erdogan is getting the majority vote in a country that they believed should be defined as secular, while religious Turks need to also not make the mistake of politicizing religion too much by becoming more power-focused than spiritual as it explains the rise of Deism among it's youth. Everything requires a balance in my opinion.

[@cusmaancumar7356]

If you're religious and Erdogan's government made you an atheist then you're confused all along and had no firm belief and faith in any religion.

[@cusmaancumar7356]

@Hervé Forgeron A sincere faith is firm, solid, and unshakeable by the acts and rhetoric of opportunistic politicians. Ones belief is in ones soul. A politician shouldn't have a reach to a pure soul.

[@pixelbasedlifeforms]

Same here. Would call myself a muslim without really knowing the religion. Erdogan came to power and started to change things. I questioned what Islam is for real. Read the Quran and quit. That might be the only benefit of Erdogan's administration.

[@Ruby-G]

There's no separation of mosque and state in Islam.

[@statarofortress]

Pretty sure that pothead is not a historian.

[@mikenogozones]

If he's a historian then I'm the president of the USA 😂

[@loveielts8523]

Turkish people should visit Pakistan to see what happens when you Islamify your country. Pakistan was making leaps and bounds in the 60's under a secular Ayub Khan, our Mustafa Kemal. Turkey's success has been built on Secularism and should maintain that otherwise Erdogan will drive them back into the Stone Age.

[@dhiaulhaq5958]

Pakistan deteriorated due to corruption not Islam. The Islam in Pakistan is a mixture of culture and tribalism. Corruption started after Ayub Khan and is embedded in the DNA of the majority of Pakistanis. Imran Khan is trying his best to fight corruption but how much can 1 person do?

[@i.k.8868]

@@dhiaulhaq5958 Imran Khan isn't doing a damn thing. He is only appeasing to terrorists. He should be ashamed of himself.

[@avineetjena5851]

@@dhiaulhaq5958 islam is the problem....islam has destroyed many countries and still destroying....j

[@dhiaulhaq5958]

@@avineetjena5851 Yes in Europe Islam killed over 3 million Jews. Islamic Japan destroyed and killed thousands in the 2nd world war. Recently Islamic countries lied about, attacked and killed millions in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. It's not your eyes but your heart which is blind.

[@denizisi7245]

Wasn’t Muhammad Ali Jinnah your Mustafa Kemal? But you’re right. You know what’s funny? All these so called Islamic governments were supported by the west.

[@Yorosero]

"Can you separate Turk from muslim?" Err . . . yes you can. These people are fanatics.

[@itsallsausagetome4059]

not really, in the eyes of turkophobes at least.

[@byron-ih2ge]

Well the ethnic religion of the turks is tengrism

[@bluceree7312]

He doesn't know what he's talking about. He's in a cult and doesn't know it.

[@byron-ih2ge]

@@bluceree7312 true

[@obadaodeh1625]

YOU CAN SEPARATE A TURK FROM MUSLIM, BUT YOU DEFINITELY CANNOT SEPARATE THE TURKISH NATION FROM THEIR ISLAMIC ROOTS JUST LIKE ATATÜRK ATTEMPTED FOR DECADES.

[@farouqomaro598]

In a secular society, all religions are freely practised and everyone is treated equal. In a religious society, there are curbs on certain religions or sects and people of some religions are treated better than others. Turkey is going down the wrong path.

[@farouqomaro598]

@@zakariyaiqbal6130 Religion flourishes in secular societies. Islam is the fastest growing religion in many Western secular countries. There is more room for competition and healthy debate in secular societies. In religious countries, there is always a group of people who are oppresed or persecuted, with varying degrees. There will also be many pseudo-followers of religion and underground groups. This is damaging to a country in the long run.

[@farouqomaro598]

@@zakariyaiqbal6130 How many secular countries banned Halal meat? Please tell me. Halal meat is a very big and growing industry in the West. Hijab is only disallowed in certain places by some countries. For example in France hijab is not allowed in schools, but Jewish cap, large crosses, Sikh turbans are also banned. But outside they are free. How does secularism mess up things? History shows us that many countries which become secular have progressed far ahead of religious countries. Sexualized? Very funny. You mean no rapes in religious countries, no child sex abuse, no religious teachers in madrassas sexually abusing students? You cannot use your interpretation of religion to rule a country because not everyone believes the same, even Muslims have different opinion about Sharia, and these differences must be respected. But you can run a country based on the universal values of religion, like grace, mercy, charity, humanitarianism and justice.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

Lemme be very open and honest with you. We as a society only tolarate some branches of Sunni Islam, some folk versions of Islam, Tengrianism or irreligion. Christianity or other semetic beliefs are also tolerated at state level but we are not fond of them as a people and we will always have suspicion on them, like it or not.

[@farouqomaro598]

@@erdoganbicer3500 Your suspicion of fellow human beings will only beget suspicion in return. Why should they not be suspicious of you when you are suspicious of them? Respect begets respect, suspicion begets suspicion. Don't forget, we are all humans, God made us equal. There are good and bad people everywhere. Allah is most merciful.

[@Trilliman707]

That's incorrect why can't we marry 4 wives than and why muslims are the only ones that is always servelenced and why in secular nations the government has more rights over yours kids than parents do so nobody is treated equal and Christianity constantly gets mocked and bashed in the west

[@orikane1]

"Can you separate Turk from Muslim?" *me while watching* "YES YOU CAN!"

[@freedomfire9366]

You know bro, my name is an ancient turkic name and I gave exactly the same reaction just like you did 😀

[@dersu7417]

Islam turk kulturunun yuzyillardir onemli bi parcasi bunu en basitinden istiklal marsinda bile gormek mumkun. Turk insaninin hamurunda Vatan sevgisi ve allah inanci ic ice. Videodaki arkadasin soylemek istedigi sanirim bu ama tam ifade edemeyince yanlis anlasilmis.

[@dennisdennis3188]

@@dersu7417 I think you are wrong. This Guy means it how he says it. Atatürk s secular state is for people like him an unknown. I am a German with turkish origin. And for me turkey is on a wrong way. The way I practice my religion does not matter anyone. It s sad that turkey goes backward.

[@billykotsos4642]

Orkan You have to fight for that to be the case !

[@freedomfire9366]

@Naruto six path people live in the countries like Turkey and Iran quit islam sharply , maybe a few examples of western ppl convert to islam but leavers way more than the new comers. This video also give statistics if u do not believe in me. Using religion for politics damages the religion itself , secularism is also good for religion. There were more muslim in Turkey when it was more secular.

[@badman2130]

Turkish people are suffering...

[@Galimah]

they voted AK with Erdogan at the rudder... let them create the hellhole they want

[@abdirahmanmohamed8518]

Liar

[@Nasil-Yapmali]

no ım turk and not suffer talk about yourself

[@joannevardakis873]

That’s not true, I am not muslim and I was in turkey, and lots of foreigners were inside. Some of them even wearing shoes inside. I was surprised that, no one said anything.

[@soukaryasamanta8073]

Yeah, but it was a museum until recently, right?

[@alonelyz1981]

@@soukaryasamanta8073 now its both

[@hirakk188]

India and Turkey are same, one try to erase the man who modernised Turkey and other is trying hard erase Gandhi . Both ruling party using religion to rule over people.

[@byron-ih2ge]

Modi is a softer and lighter version of erdogan

[@247_shivamkilanjar2]

@@byron-ih2ge what do you mean Lighter version moron your comment has no sense

[@247_shivamkilanjar2]

And let me tell you Hindus are never as extremists as the second largest community of India don't spit venom

[@hirakk188]

@@247_shivamkilanjar2 may be we are not talking about Hindus as general but BJP and Modi who are using religion as their main agenda to get vote , Modi and erdogan are same in that sense of course majority of Hindus don't support Modi and BJP

[@byron-ih2ge]

@@247_shivamkilanjar2 if u dont have the brain what can i do

[@berkadsiz2905]

Turkey is a secular country and nobody has a power to change it. Turkey and its citizens are bigger than a party. West needs to know that Turkish Republic has never been an Islamic country and will not be as long as the youth of Turkey lives. Also, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his ideology are written in our hearts deeply.

[@itsallsausagetome4059]

wishful thinking

[@byron-ih2ge]

@Jamil Ebdeen tengrism:am i a joke to u ?

[@md-dp5bo]

Jamil Ebdeen lol, just how??? its actually the reason why not only turkish but all turkic languages are so influenced by arabic and persian. without it we would be still speaking a more authentic turkish.

[@byron-ih2ge]

@@md-dp5bo ya ur right turks and persians would actually be much better without any arab influence since they already have an independent culture which is better than the arab culture.

[@sarscov_3covid-214]

lol you live in the 1980s. get over it. things are changing fast and new Turkye will be established. A turkeye for all not for the secularist fanatics and their traitor.

[@yasoka1339]

we are secular Turks. We are many but our voices are not heard.

[@samirzemmache]

How many ???? Would you say the majority of turks are secular? Cause in a democracy if 70% or turks are muslims and 30% are secular or represent other religion, the law of majority should respected right? Why should Turkey implement secularism ? Since its not the request of the majority of the turks. Even Ataturk when he took islam down and set secularism he didnt have the majority of turks voices but he did have full support of western powers ... We keep praising democracy in western countries but they forbid majoriry muslim country to apply democracy

[@yasoka1339]

@@samirzemmache Does the majority need to have tyranny against the minority in order to have a democracy? Being a Muslim does not mean that we will be governed by islamic law. As you know majority of the Europe is Christian, but Roman law is still in operation at there. Please understand that democracy is not just one structure and study.

[@samirzemmache]

@@yasoka1339 Well since you praise Europe democracy, check how many extreme right parties are gaining the terrain in European countries, would you consider Trump part someone who believes in white supremacy and racist? Well he ruled in the name of democracy, and again european embraced secularism cause the majority of european are atheists. According to estimate 40% are atheists and remaining 60% shares other religions in France. As you can see the law of the majority applies. So if Secular turks are just 10 % or so why would they think they can impose their ways ? Or wanna have it like Kamelisits ? Imposing secularism to turks, banning Hijab, this is dictatorship

[@samirzemmache]

@@yasoka1339 Also you can take Israel as reference here Its a jewish state and im pretty sure its not secular, since its prime minister Netanyahu used the Old testament as valid argument to take western bank in Palestine......Turks have to decide by-themselves what they want and not to follow orders from western countries how their society should be

[@samirzemmache]

@@yasoka1339 and talking about tyranny, These secular countries like france and india are showing some much hate towards minority Muslims... and you know your history better than be, you know that Ottoman had no issue with Christians or jews or other minorities.... your history is much cleaner and had a Way much blood then western empires, just dont be intimidated...

[@burakcanduzcan]

that "historian" claims ministerial decree isn't legitimate. i have no more words to say...

[@Molecular-Brainwaves-Translate]

it isn't legitimate anymore. people have the power, not dogma

[@shaman3681]

I am Turkish and nonteist, Guys, young Turkish people don't belive to islam, just our prezent is not seculer but they will go soon and we will be seculer we didn't forget Atatürk🖤 we are seculer we are not Arab

[@Faiz_Editz123]

Lol, you can be Arab and secular😂. Arab is an ethnicity, not a religion. Islam is for all, not just for Arabs😂😂you don't even know what you talking about

[@chan-yeol4262]

Muslim in minority - We want secularism ... Muslim in majority - We want shariya ..

[@Blabla-xg6wh]

stop generalising a population. And saying that muslims in the majority want sharia law is idiotic. Countries like poland dont like muslims, and dont want religious freedoms, so what does it matter if turkey does the same. Hypocrite.

[@babiskatopodis2787]

Turkey adopted secularism as a muslim majority nation and many others have done the same in the past don't be ignorant.

[@kaz9242]

Indonesia, Bangladesh are huge Muslim majorities and they are way more secular than India. They won't kill you for eatingany kind of meat. They won't harras your temple gurus for no reason.

[@kaz9242]

@Sai K there are more than 1 crore Hindus in tiny bd. Sharp declin is bjp propaganda. That happened mostly during the Pakistani era

[@berkayo.3771]

@Mister Friske how many times poland had problems with muslim majority?

[@fatihakmese]

Why did reporter in the beginning complained regarding Imam Hatip Schools and they can't find anybody to make an interview. This guy who speaks in this video clearly product of Imam Hatip Schools. A soul for Politicized Islam. As a Turkish man by myself, i can argue every word he said and all of them are wrong. He said we can't seperate Turks with Muslims. Sorry but we became Muslims in around 9th Century. Turkish existence in the history starts around 1000 years prior to that one. People who practices Islam (5 times praying in a day, reading Quran, fasting in Ramadan etc.) only 15 or 20% of the population. Go and see Turkey in Ramadan, all restaurants are open etc. Alcohol consumption is a normal thing etc. Islam is only a cultural affiliation for Turks. The guy complains about in Hagia Sophia many did not pray and wondering inside, taking pictures etc... Even that is a proof is that he is wrong. Nobody feels like him as Turkish equals to Muslim. People tends to identify themselves as Muslim in Turkey but no one practices it.

[@dersu7417]

Fransiz medyasi iste, turkiyeyi karalamak uzun yillardir en buyuk ugraslarindan biri.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

Interestingly enough, the highest rate of irreligion is among imam hatip graduates,more so than science high schools. Anyway, french propoganda and sensationalism at its finest, i would like to sau, but it is not fine at all. It is just cheap and infantilistic at many aspectd

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Su Sofia T it is not a mere push, you really dont want your child to go there, if you bother with it, you succeed. The point is families were ok with it depending on the district

[@besimyucel94]

turkey, even the strong muslims have had enough of the president. He will most likely lose the next election, and as of now he lost Ankara and Istanbul

[@damsyuksel311]

Gurbetcilerde var daha... erdogan'a bir kere daha oy verecekler

[@healingbyqurannow]

Iam not a follower of Erdogan but you have to tell the truth before Erdogan Turkey was a third world country, backward and poor now it is more advanced and manufacturing power.

[@e.a9751]

@@healingbyqurannow even if Erdoğan would change turkey to a global power. They would still complain about economy.

[@dersu7417]

If you ask me, Erdogan wont give up his position even if he lost the election. I fear that turkey might end up like syria when that time comes.

[@enrico7474]

Stfu

[@hermajesty3795]

Can we separate Turks from Muslims? Yes. We had our own faith, Tengrism before we were assimilated into Islam through migration to the Middle East. But to say that we cannot separate Islam from Turks is very misguided as it is not our original religion, and Turkish citizens are not the only Turks in the world ( as we are our own ethnic group living in Central Asia, West Asia, Eastern Europe and Siberia) and there are many Turks that adhere to other Abrahamic religions as well, such as Gagauz people (who are mainly Orthodox Christians).

[@peterkorpotkin6320]

I am an atheist from Turkey, but I can confirm for you, when its required we Turkish people are ONE.

[@mikeylejan8849]

Huge respect to Ataturk father of modern Turkey. A lot of women and men in Turkey today credit him for giving them the chance to think and decide for their lives.

[@anneeq008]

He was a self hating none white autocrat. Especially Mary considering he murdered people for simply recurring adhaan in Arabic and writing the Qur'an in Arabic. The sort of puppet France has history of puppeteering. Especially in their colonial outposts in Africa.

[@md.walidhasan7760]

But what about those who want to be wear them with veil and Islam. Were they not humans

[@mikeylejan8849]

@@anneeq008 Ataturk is best

[@kaiserkhan9832]

@@md.walidhasan7760 it is out of this century to wear veil and think you will go to heaven. why do muslims who believe in islamic law, want to be judged by modern law ? I think those who break Turkish law should be executed just like in islamic law. Does Islam have human rights? No. So why should veiled women be given rights?

[@youtubedeluxe1140]

he was dictator dude. He slaugther hundreds of thousands innocent people (Kurdish & Alevi) like Nazis with chemical weapon

[@robertmahler8894]

Hahhaah, Erdogan is trying to compare himself to The great Ataturk, What an insult!

[@md.walidhasan7760]

No he is Suleiman the magnificent, you wrong

[@user-ot2yz7it7i]

Well he's insulting himself but it's up to him if he really wants to degrade himself to the level of ataturk.

[@robertmahler8894]

This great man, Ataturk is the only reason why Turkey is not just another Syria, Iraq, or Egypt. Erdogan will NEVER be even close.

[@emir7660]

@@md.walidhasan7760 A dictator like Erdogan can only be the 5th Mehmet Vahdettin

[@Wartensteiin]

Yeah, erdogan shouldn't compare himself to that disgraceful person

[@FOtus-yw1rr]

The title is appropriate to other nations as well with religions getting involved.

[@babitayadav4806]

Me: laughs as an indian

[@JJ-zg7ug]

Yes, you can get fined in italy for blasphemy to this day.

[@soukaryasamanta8073]

Yeah, true

[@babitayadav4806]

@Truth Seeker religion is deep inside politics in india used by every indian politician

[@narendra62]

@@JJ-zg7ug And in Muslim countries you're killed. Where would you rather live?

[@mayms9181]

All religions are made in earth. ‏I left Islam when I read the Qur’an and the biography of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam ‏Now I live in Iraq and I can't talk about it even with my family I might be killed, and society will reject me, it's very difficult for me ‏and many Arabs leave Islam every day, but they cannot announce that because they may be killed and of course society rejects them.

[@joferyere8267]

muhammad's history is much worse

[@AL_AFGHANI1]

Ok May 🤣

[@caralhoguy]

Real

[@samuelbcn]

Secularism is the only way believers and non believers can live in peace. It doesn't have to be extreme secularism, but a state should be broadly secular.

[@idrisalhajiadamu7590]

Which is not allowed in france and in turkey under kamalist

[@xmurshedz]

In France you are secular if you "reject" religion

[@samuelbcn]

@@xmurshedz I don't know if France has got the balance right but I think they're trying. Secularism shouldn't mean that the state rejects religious beliefs or practices, or the religious heritage of its citizens. Clearly in France there are very active churches and mosques. There are religious programmes on state TV and radio. Historial churches are maintained by the state. Most public holidays are from the church calendar, and shops close on Sundays. But no one is expected to follow a faith, no one is advantaged or disadvantaged by his religious stance, and no one ay school is protected from scientific reality because it goes against the teachings of some fundamentalists. That just seems about right to me.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@@samuelbcn ever bothered to check how many actuve churches in Turkey, especially protestand ones or synagogues??? Of course you didnt. Rather you keep repeating the westernparrotisms you have been fed with all thanks to your media and culture

[@Wartensteiin]

In what sense?

[@axb6061]

Hello Osman, I prayed as a Christian in there in 2018 and was so happy to see tourists all over. HS is a heritage for everyone

[@yusakuzgun2824]

I’m sorry on behalf of my nation 😑

[@billaldaye6496]

I now pray in there all the time as a muslim HS is a mosque!

[@secularsekai8910]

@@billaldaye6496 It should be a museum 😑 Or a neutral center of faith meant for all to use. Not just a mosque.

[@billaldaye6496]

@eric g the owner, Mohammad al Fatih bought the building from his own money and he intended it to be a mosque, it doesn't matter what the rest of the entire world wants it to be, it will be as the wishes of the owner.....period

[@secularsekai8910]

@@billaldaye6496 EDIT: Upon researching Mohammad al Fatih, I now see he is a historical conqueror from the 1400s. Sorry, but that doesn’t justify what is happening today. Fair enough. That’s better than it being a state owned project. If it’s his private property, he has that right. But the guy could CHOOSE to make it more inclusive. Having the legal right to do something doesn’t automatically make it the right thing to do 😑 If I bought the Parthenon, I wouldn’t suddenly convert it back from a world heritage site to a place of worship exclusively for the ancient Greek gods or Christianity.

[@davidbak6984]

As a secular, left-leaning liberal Turk, the situation in Turkey makes me anxious. There are millions of turks who vote for secular parties and I fully support them. Political and Radical Islam are a global threat, we need to unite and make the population aware that only secularism and liberal democracies can guarantee human rights and equality/freedom for all.

[@obiwan476]

But i assure They still wont allow in eu🤪😂

[@crumpfyllc5571]

what if someone does not agree on liberalism. Will you implement liberal ideology forcefully on those peoples?

[@visuali235]

@@crumpfyllc5571they did with their before Erdogan government and first presidents they went so far to even tobble democratically elected government because it was not secular leaning

[@Faiz_Editz123]

How is Political Islam a "global" threat? Do you even know what "politucal Islam" is? Mate, stop embarrassing yourself and get a grip. You don't know anything about Islam.

[@DaniG.German883]

@@Faiz_Editz1239/11, London bombings, Madrid train bombings, 2016 Istanbul airport attack, 2022 taksim square bombings, 2017 terror attack in Barcelona. Must I go on?

[@cloudyforever6253]

bunların tipleri hep mi aynı olur arkadaş ya. tombik surat, armut vücut, heri potır gözlüğü, ceketi giyince gelen altı boş özgüven... hiç şaşmaz. 10 sene önce cemaatçi abileriyle pilav kaşıkladığına eminim ama ispatlayamam.

[@dersu7417]

France24 cok aramis bu arkadasi galiba.

[@minzblatt]

Kırmızı boyalı Kemalizm üzerinden geçimini sağlayan tipik CHPli teyzeyi es geçmişin bakıyorum. Alalım ayrımcıliginizdan bir dal.

[@leavemealone3364]

tam irticacı it tipi. bunları gördün mü yolunu 500 metreden değiştireceksin

[@guneyt.6445]

imzami atarim şu tespitin altina.

[@gokturklerindirilisi1048]

@@minzblatt adam doğruları söylemiş, neden bu kadar alındın? bu adamların stereotipi senelerdir bu ve senin sözünü ettiğin stereotip de laikliği kendi menfaatleri üstünden yorumlayıp milletin antipatisini kazanıyor. tıpkı sjwler, siyasi ümmetçiler ve "as bayrağı as" milliyetçileri gibi.

[@ballayran9321]

Believe or not, Turkey is an secular country and it will remain secular. Because Turks are secular. So, it is written in the constitution, you can read. Erdogan was a wrong choice of the group of people who are uneducated and having more and more population in Turkey. But no problem, we will educate them.

[@terryrichs2745]

Nothing to see here, empty propaganda rhetorics from start to finish. The meaningless discussions here should have been had in France where intolerant and, racist politics are on the rise.

[@ibrahimmeziane4616]

absolutely

[@ottopotatum5775]

Stop being in denial

[@egosum7]

Intolerant and racist politics? Take a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan and let's talk about that again.

[@ermeriodsassperini]

Its only a matter of time. It's my opinion that the Islamic religion will follow in the steps of Christianity. Many young Christian to day are non practicing and only Christian by birth.

[@ib368]

I agree. It’s just a small nuisance that my birth certificate says “Muslim” as a religious affiliation (which is crazy from the beginning, I’m a Bosnian atheist), so I’d like to change that sometime in the future.

[@jcreed09]

I'm actually on the side of Osman the Historian, Constantinople was conquered in 1453, Muslims won, Justinian's Hagia Sophia turned into Mosque and then into Museum by Secular Kemal Ataturk then into Mosque again in 2020 by Sultan wannabe Erdogan. Hagia Sophia is in Turkey, Greeks tried to take it back a hundred years ago, they failed. The Turks can do what they want with Hagia Sophia. Spain turned Mosques and Synagogues into churches after 1492, Pagan Sites were turned into Christian churches- logic of history, to the victor goes the spoils...and to that logic, Israel should be able to build Third Temple in Jerusalem- they conquered East Jerusalem in 1967- the Jews won, so following the reasoning of Osman the Historian, Israel can do what they want in Jerusalem.

[@Kendine_HasTR]

Cihatçılar kuşattı ülkemi

[@junaidahsan783]

Where you are worried

[@SYldz67]

Turkey is secular and will always stay that way

[@windsong3wong828]

The whole world faces the same issue.....religion VS secularism . Luckily for Christianity ....they have answered it a long time ago. For Islamic nations.....it is a big big issue now. Strangely .....Trump raised this big issue in America now. The evangelicals.

[@starcityrc3298]

I'm a devout Christian but I believe that nations need to be secular as God has given us free will on this planet It's for us to choose not for government to choose It's for us to practice our religion not for it to be pressed upon us. Why doesn't Islam understand this?

[@ridiculamsimia4385]

I don't think a nation should be secular while it oppresses religions

[@Sara_Islam_2024]

​@@ridiculamsimia4385 Every country should be secular like USA

[@ridiculamsimia4385]

@@Sara_Islam_2024 I disagree

[@Sara_Islam_2024]

​@@ridiculamsimia4385 Why?

[@Dingdong2730]

@@ridiculamsimia4385 Secularism still allows you freedom of religion. In a secular society you are still able to practice your faith and will have that ability protected by a constitution.

[@greyfells2829]

Osmann has a lot to say about what being a Turk means, he looks like he's too weak to fire a bow and too soft to ride a horse.

[@Sbizzy153]

Kunem TURKI MAMAN

[@uksedat]

hahahahahahah

[@alqaas1948]

Thats mere portrait of the founder of the Ottoman Empire. I am sorry if you think it is real image of the man. If he was weak he would have been subjugated by the Byzantine and would not have the strength to unite the beyliks of early Ottoman period.

[@ezrathegreatconqueror]

@@alqaas1948 I think he meant Osman the historian in this video, not Osman the founder of the Ottoman Empire

[@yusufl.o.u4180]

The first 200 years of the Ottoman Empire are not well known Including actual founder and year of foundation Little is known about Osman, except for rumors and documents of dubious origin. Just looking at your portrait and commenting will make your professors have a stomachache with laughter :)

[@silversurfermusicco5263]

Its a bad sign when schools stop teaching evolution. You end up with gormless drones

[@silversurfermusicco5263]

@Smart Bamsi in the film. Sunni faith schools. Anyway its not my business i dobt care

[@silversurfermusicco5263]

@Smart Bamsi yes faith schools is for theology studies.

[@silversurfermusicco5263]

@Smart Bamsi turkey?

[@silversurfermusicco5263]

@Smart Bamsi ah ok. All people should be respected of religious rights

[@xidaarxashi9262]

@Karim Tabriz its a good sign when evolution ceases where human being is seen as a fictional amoeba transformation to a monkey to a full modernized human being, it clearly shows that the minds of people are urinated

[@anneeq008]

Tale of France: racism and colonialism. TO THIS DAY!!

[@pauljaguar8112]

tale of whinny loooooosers

[@niceguy1891]

Not true

[@alqaas1948]

@Ryan a France massacred millions of Algerians yet refuses to apologise for their war crimes. They also justify having the skulls of the Algerian martyrs in their museum. During this period france was staunch secular state yet justified these heinous war crimes.

[@derrickrose8069]

@Ryan a Who colonized half of Africa and forced Africans to speak French and sell them in slave markets? Let's hear which African countries Turkey invaded and I'll tell you, which ones France invaded. This is why #BLM movement toppled off French statues in Paris in May and there's nothing French people could have done. Not to mention, Algerian genocide. You're racist and Black people know it. They will take over France in 20-30 years with Arabs.

[@denizagayi9377]

There is mollions of musques in Turkey,but for a fanatic muslim there is no limits for fanatisme.hate erdoğan as a Türk,just love Atatürk

[@mdsabahuddin8251]

Your opinion doesn't matter. I hope that you rot in hell with Ataturk.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

Nope actually, there are trillions of them. Huh huh

[@halane6523]

Hhhhhhhhstubid go whit ataturk naar ok

[@shahidmaseed7]

So go to hell and join ur that zoinist puppet ataturk

[@jekrasist]

@@shahidmaseed7 funny

[@guclumelek79]

3:55 ; "Can we separate Turk and Islam" ? Well yes.. Not only there are other religious minorities as Turks, we are a secular country as well... We should remain that way. Why ? Well, to put it short ; You can believe in Islam in a secular country, but in an Islamıc country you cannot be secular.. Period.

[@conserztasfia0078]

Why not be both? U can be a turk and a muslim at the same time can't u

[@guclumelek79]

@@conserztasfia0078 Of course, you can. It’s also possible you can be Jew or Atheist while being Turkish. It’s religion and nationality. Two different things people often act as one. That causing problems..

[@AL_AFGHANI1]

That’s not how people 100 years ago saw it

[@guclumelek79]

@@AL_AFGHANI1 You’re right. But as you said it was 100 years ago. This is 21th century.

[@scoops2382]

Look what happened in ireland when religion ruled with the state, awful, i lived in turkey and turkey/Cyprus and the turks were consistently wonderful to me, i really enjoyed the stay

[@johnanderson4710]

What has that got to do with religion?

[@scoops2382]

@@johnanderson4710 the catholic church ruled with the state, in ireland till legislation in 1973 and it took 20 years for the church power and influence to diminish. Some parts are a horror story of abuse (all kinds) cruelty and murder at the hands of the religious, it had too much state power which it abused. Religion has agendas but its always about self promotion and self importance, an organisation that deals with the supernatural as its central tenant shouldn't be allowed a seat in a ruling structure.

[@johnanderson4710]

@@scoops2382 but that has nothing to do with the people u met in Cyprus or turkey so why say it in the first place?

[@scoops2382]

@@johnanderson4710 bloody hell mate because turkey is moving towards a non secular state like was ireland was. Liking the people i met in turkey was just an positive expierence to share

[@johnanderson4710]

@@scoops2382 and why is that a problem? When Turkey was non secular it was more tolerant of other religions and minorities. The secular past of turkey has massacred minorities and oppressed women in universities and Muslim. I can go on and on. Turkey under religious rule was more tolerant than the secular republic

[@cesarsanchez9697]

Very informative. The failed coup may well be just the beginning of the turmoil in Turkey. I just hope there will be a peaceful solution to these problems.

[@yurichtube1162]

The 2023 elections might be the end of our nightmares, only if the international community keeps watch and ensures fair elections. Because erdogan will cheat.

[@ersgtr3421]

No beginning of turmoil is when you elect a religious leader. And this is regardless of religion.

[@milliyetci5672]

@@yurichtube1162 boy, i recoqnize you... You'r a kurd, why you cares?? i saw you in other videos that you support ''HDP & PKK'' which is enemy of Turkey & Turks.... Your Kurdistan dream will never happen in Turkey... keep dreaming..

[@yurichtube1162]

@SystemRelevant it did, but 2023 could mark the beginning of a new one. If erdogan is defeated.

[@yurichtube1162]

@@milliyetci5672 who asked you? We will force it. An anatolian federation with different autonomous states could work, like how it in Russia works. We are not Chechen, so we wouldn't rebel like them either. We would be loyal patriots, who pays taxes and serve the army. All the support to the PKK would dwindle and perhaps mean the dissolve of the PKK altogether (never forget why PKK is favored by the Kurds, they fight for the Kurds when no one else would or care. They are the reason why the Kurds weren't fully assimilated and will never be assimilated). At the same time, we would be able to protect our Kurdish identity and learn both languagues at the same time. This would solve all the problems in Turkey in one take, no more human rights abuses, and one step closer in the EU and overall better status internationally.

[@smakash1880]

Please make some news on french brutality on africa !! You people can also news on France colonial brutality era in Algeria!

[@marcoader9095]

What about stoning some women?

[@ottopotatum5775]

Stop with your whataboutism

[@omkarkulkarni6282]

France 24 is reporting against Turkey and TRT world is reporting against French colonial crimes . Now we are even

[@The1ByTheSea]

Turkey is one of the least Islamic countries in practice .The youth in Turkey do not practice ISlam,about half of the youth in Turkey do not practice Islam .

[@ibenzawla]

As a Muslim I have always admired Muslim majority nations like Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia because of their ability to balance old Islam and our twenty first century way of life but it appears that's beginning to change and its very worrying. Turkey is where East meets West and no better way to symbolize that than sharing such a magnificent historic building with the rest of the Christian world. Surely there are countless masjids in Turkey where we can meet and pray as we like.

[@jackmcnally9237]

Deo volente !

[@aryanshah4703]

Not Malaysia

[@e.t.ethics1771]

It should have been retained as a museum.

[@dadada486]

Just regarding Hagia Sophia though. I am an atheist, /agnostic but I really don't like tourists showing zero respect in places of worship. I love visiting churches, temples and mosques, but I always do so quietly and respectfully.

[@ViceCityExtra]

He sounds scared. Cause he knows that Turkey is turning irreligious and secular.

[@JanBanJoovi-ol1qv]

Turkiye has been established as a secular state after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk insisted on it being secular. But islamists have changed it after Ataturk is gone. Islamic extremism in Turkiye has been quiet for many years until Islamist Erdogan came to power. He wants to turn Turkiye into a hard core Islamic state. Went recently to a Turkish village and dined at a small village cafe. The owner is quite hesitant to serve us because we are not Muslims. He repeatedly asked us if we are not muslims. After we answered we aren’t, he’s not much very attentive to our inquiries and went away ignoring us. We have not encountered this kind of Islamic extremism before. There might be extremism before but not as strong as nowadays when Erdogan is highly promoting it, disregarding the foundations of the Turkiye as a secular state.

[@farukkalkan5341]

At 4:44 subtitles say "suleyman(mehmet ii)" which is wrong. Mehmet ii is the one who took the city with the name Fatih(conqueror). Suleyman is the one called "the great" or "lawgiver". Who sieged vienna and conquered some parts of eastern europe. You should done your research properly.(maybe akp done the video wrong idk)

[@onurkalkan201]

Where you from

[@minzblatt]

The Subtitles are by France24 not Turkish side. It's their biased anti Turkish agenda and ignorance.

[@SalahBroadcasting]

I am with keeping Hagia Sophia as a church. It’s a respect for those who built it. At the same time all the mosques converted into churches in Spain, Portugal and Balkan and should be reverted to be mosques. Such buildings are made the history of those countries, thus they should be respected if those countries respect their history ..

[@cmsacademy1673]

Arabs are not all Muslims, but Turks are 100% Muslim

[@yolgezertan]

Hmm good work France 24! Old school, one sided, ultra secular journalism is no longer avaible in Turkey. Thanks to you i have seen it again..

[@nomorenews]

Turkey is as secular as France,Uk,USA, Germany,Brazil etc

[@bkbk7653]

When I watched this I thought. I guess I don't live in Turkey :D

[@sevketozcan4790]

Everyone is fanatic in this country. a geography like heaven, a society like hell.

[@jasminespencer3992]

The key point here is that this whole country was founded as a secular country and the great leader and founder, Ataturk was beyond vocal and insistent that religion not be a part of this country’s government and now this current administration is throwing all of that right out the window. It’s a disgrace to Ataturk

[@Powersnufkin]

Why not pray to Allah in a mosque instead of a 1000 year old church?

[@weylandyutani9622]

There are many mosques that I know of which used to be churches, a police station and even pubs.

[@imraniqbal8153]

I don't have a political opinion but just to put things in perspective, I find Turkish bread much better than the baguette, it just makes better sandwiches!!

[@rishavsharma2349]

You could equally call France, US, UK, India, Indonesia etc torn between religion and secularism.

[@haunanalfathi6973]

indonesia is not secular actually, i’m from indonesia

[@user-dc4bl1cu2k]

@@haunanalfathi6973 Indonesia is a mixed society. I've been there myself. You can find both secular & religious people. Same is true for Pakistan and for Turkey and the majority of muslim countries.

[@subhankarchakraborty2448]

@@user-dc4bl1cu2k Jsyk pakistan is an Islamic state unlike Indonesia India US France.

[@farzana6676]

@@user-dc4bl1cu2k Pakistan is secular? Loooool no way. 🤣

[@DarkKnight-db1dy]

@@user-dc4bl1cu2k Pakistan is secular?Lmao you made my day with such jokes😂😂

[@raazz8848]

Islam .... action speak louder ...than they preach....

[@rumeysaolkay]

You can't judge islam by muslims' actions

[@pettouch965]

@@rumeysaolkay so if we attack Muslims..dont cry islamophobia.

[@AL_AFGHANI1]

@@pettouch965 if we attack non Muslims then don’t cry

[@ragnaroknibba6083]

Erdogan is trashing all of Ataturk's work, and he is shaking in his grave

[@Kden420]

I agree. I was born in Istanbul (have since moved to Germany) and it sickens me. At least Atatürks party CHP is still around and almost won last time. There is for sure still hope for Turkey. I am an atheist/buddhist.

[@emekaosisi1288]

“It means a lot to them”. Said the pirates of their booty.

[@pax4370]

From Bangladesh here, I can tell that here people are getting more radicalized than say 10 years ago, attacks on minorities are again on the rise, religious preachers are using power of social media to spew more venoms, to gain more popularity....oddly among the radical groups 'Ertugrul' turkish show is very popular, even though they themselves tell music or cinema entertainment as haram. Few years ago, atheist were targeted one by one and killed, either they escaped to Europe or USA or was dead(thankfully the court recently gave death sentence to the attacker). So, folks in Turkey, either strive for your right or perish. Selam to you.

[@abdullahiamir6789]

France or French Media should be the LAST of all people to be lecturing on Morality and distinguishing right from wrong!

[@lumesu5221]

If religion is a solution, why are lots of people from Muslims countries flocking to secular(Christians) countries? No need to impose religion on people.

[@Kartal-tp8qq]

3:57 WHAT?!?!

[@Rogerrramjet1]

True Turkey is divided, one side hates Islam and wants to be westernized ,other half wants Islamic Turkey. I support Islamic Turkey.

[@justanyperson]

you are not Turkish so dont support anything about us

[@KaziNabirOfficial]

Same 💪

[@gunduzbey9805]

@@justanypersonand ur not Turkish according to me siyonist köpke

[@SirLangsalot]

This is why there is no hope for the Islamic world.

[@mohamedimohamedi8933]

you don't known u think this world is your destination hopefully Allah will show u truth

[@fathmaaly5760]

Did we ask??? take notes on how Muslims don’t care about your irrelevant comments😭 we won’t give you the attention you never got

[@intervention2216]

Once a shithole always one. What a fall from the golden age lol

[@user-im3sq7vq3p]

Turkey, is a democratic country, but the problem with you don't see dictatorship in Egypt

[@sunrisings292]

Or "moderate" Wahhabi Saudis chopping off journalists alive.

[@amor8996]

So teaching about religion is against secularism according to France. Anything else.🤣

[@maxs.5112]

as long as the perfective is secular, then it should be considered secular.

[@greyfells2829]

it was a museum before you dolt, now it's a mosque, teaching about ONE religion, the one that stole this building and city with blood.

[@milliyetci5672]

@@greyfells2829 When Turks came to this land, our ancestor dicided that it should be a mosque and it'll be a mosque until the end time... Do whatever you want, we'll see....

[@amor8996]

@Jithin Jose where you get that?

[@user-fz3is7ie4w]

They can teach about prophet. They are secular and don't mind about religion but can't bear Muslims. Hypocrisy

[@agll7094]

According to a poll made by MAK in 2017, 86% of the Turkish population declared they believe in God. 76% declared they believe Quran and other holy books came through revelation by God..2019 also has similar figures... I'm muslim from turkey

[@rally7358]

Can you post a link? Thanks.

[@umaraziz8274]

ALHAMDULILLAH ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[@justanyperson]

bunun yanlış olduğunu biliyorsun. kendini de milleti de kandırma

[@huizui6512]

Most Muslims in turkey are irreligious.. They are non practicing.. It's simply on certificate.. U look up recent polls

[@setiawan8124]

Berbahagialah saya hidup dinegara saya INDONESIA TERCINTA YG SELALU MENJAGA KERUKUNAN

[@ermeriodsassperini]

The day will come when religion will be separated from state, its inevitable.

[@hasanmahedi-12]

interesting france 24 suddenly interested about turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@LoveBD153]

Macaroni against Erdogan 😂

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Ryan a what shole you are from I seriously wonder

[@thnktank1]

Well you can have one or the other.

[@fayaz5960]

Which means there's no religion in France right. This is sort of propaganda that western world keep on doing for years.

[@mentos_kola]

This is not the definition for secularism, Hagia Sophia has been a museum for nearly a hundred years, and now, it became a political toy that islamist parties love to play with. Secularism basically ensures on the one hand that everyone can live their faith, and on the other hand that no religious thought can affect the system of governing. Thus religion and secularism are not comparable, it would be absurd. You can have faith, and can be governed under a secularist regime which is the most rational system of governing

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@@mentos_kola yeah but there is no christians to pray in hs. Thats where you are mistaken. It had been a mosque for half a millenium and reopened as a mosque again, contrary to what you like to propogate.

[@mentos_kola]

@@erdoganbicer3500 reopening hagia sophia because the government's fans wanted to pray in it is totally absurd and it ignores its cultural significance. A secular government would have never done such thing. Note that there were Christians who would like to pray in H.S. and that its opening most probably was unconstitutional. And also that h.s. was a church nearly for a millenia!

[@mentos_kola]

@@fayaz5960 it is a topic of argument that a government should implicitly advocate for no religion. If the religions present in societies are truly deteriorating them, the odds of abolishing them should be considered.

[@davidphelps1083]

Hi, I love the Turkish people. I could have gone anywhere in the world for my yearly vacation, I chose Istanbul. This was in 2011. I took pictures, just wonderful. I remember walking outside taking pictures and a young Turkish boy, maybe 14 years old approached me and could tell I was an American and I was so impressed with 'everything' including the 'Blue Mosque. We talked about his city for a minute and where I came from then he invited me to come inside the Blue Mosque, I followed him and removed my shoes, washed my feet. I love the kindness of this, young man. His parents should be proud of him. Looking back, I also remember an older man (Taxi driver ) who I paid to take me to the Phanar, He did and waited while I walked to the office, hoping to see the patriarch, Bartholomew, but he was not in. I went inside the chapel and back to the taxi. The driver took me back to where he picked me up. The older driver told me how much to charge was, In lira, I understand the difference between lira and dollars. The dollar cost was like $5.00 I had no change and handed him a $20.00 bill and ask if he had change? I told him how much in Lira the difference would be. I was shocked!! he refused to give me my change. He tried to steal my money. I wrestled my change from him and left walking towards the Bosphorus. The contrast between these encounters in Turkey will never leave my memory. The boy was an Angel, the older Turk was a demon.

[@silentwolf1872]

What you witnessed is a religion-oriented mindset vs a materialistic mindset.

[@tastingyoursmile2416]

Turkey is Kemalist and will remain as Kemalist. YAŞA VAR OL MUSTAFA KEMAL PAŞA.

[@jo-wo3we]

what does that atheist probably do for a living with only 110 euros per month?

[@autumnicleaf]

Probably his prayers backfired.

[@jo-wo3we]

@@autumnicleaf atheists dont pray

[@viteydarniy7]

My country entered the new millenium mostly atheistic, democratic and secular and quess what happened: Nothing. There were no big natural disasters, no war, no famine. Economy actually grew. Even people's morals haven't changed - good people remained good, bad people remained bad. God didn't struck us with lightning. He doesn't seem to be offended at all.

[@suhailshafi]

There is only one Turkey where religion and secularism exist together, but that does not mean the society is ''torn'' at all. I suggest the French deal with their own rampant xenophobia first.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Karim Hussein russia and all the east europe does this. Also britain. What now?

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Karim Hussein nope. Turkey is Turkic. Culturally, by mentality and linguistically. And also by aproach to religion.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Karim Hussein like it or not, there is. As well as persian one. Merely by looking at the culture and understanding of islam in different cultures you can easily see it. Uttering age old catchphrases wont change it.

[@erdoganbicer3500]

@Karim Hussein still catchphrasing and strawmanning. You can see the huge cultural differences and gap and outlook to religion among Turks, arabs and persians with your very own eyes rather than trying to refute me here

[@haryisnanto69]

I support Turkey like Ottoman, and secularism, greets Indonesia

[@mowhei5568]

🇹🇷🇹🇷💗

[@nergismeurer7070]

There are non-muslim Turks. Read history. The first interviewee is not a good choice.

[@elincognito2808]

@@stevemcmanaman3695 and is there christians in Turkey?

[@The1ByTheSea]

Istanbual,the Aegean coast:Ismir,Kushadashi .etc are more secular and less religious, than the interior.

[@AbdelRahmanSeyamEg]

Glad to see Islam is prevailing in Turkey and soon in the whole world

[@mr.anderson2241]

Perhaps in your dreams

[@mrg6074]

You guys talk like this and then cry about Islamophobia

[@syedrafi2258]

So he is talking about his own religion in Muslim country not harassing any non Muslim so why are you affended​@@mrg6074

[@yurichtube1162]

There is no hope in Turkey.

[@yurichtube1162]

@Clannie 184 not for the fascists or racists either. Not in Turkey, or anywhere else.

[@milliyetci5672]

@@yurichtube1162 shut up Kurds

[@sadeceolulergorur4760]

Love secular Turkey.

[@Sedna063]

Love secular Turkey too. For a modern nation for a modern people.

[@OkojoMizuri]

"Can you separate a Turk from being a Muslim?" Yeah. Because nation comes way higher and more prominent than a religion. Hello from Obihiro

[@mohammedfaisal3912]

You should ashamed of your country rather than meddling other country

[@sampagnajdjd3781]

his name is corumlu. explains his brain seize

[@vnba007]

Islamic fanaticism and its results are now visible. I have pictures of this Hagia Sofia church which I snapped on 2013 16th August.

[@obiwan476]

Nice try hindu

[@Liverham78]

It is not possible to be true secular country, when more than 90% of it’s population follows one religion. Which signifies religion is an important part of their daily life.

[@stariehearts2366]

Turkey should just introduce Sharia and get it over with. True Sharia gives rights to minority groups

[@damlahanm608]

america is the definition of secular yet people have very strpng religious beliefs, even those who were banished from europe for their extreme radical views, like the amish. separatation of church and state does not mean annihilation of religion

[@mehmetakyldz5456]

Turkey is only secular on paper, in reality it is not actually a secular country. For example in Turkey there is a state institution called as Directorate of Religious Affairs, and every Turkish citizen(regardless of Muslim or not) must pay tax to that institution. Can you call this country as secular ? Of course not. By the way, Turkey is the most secular country in Islamic world, however for Europe it can't be called as secular at all. All in all, we can conclude that if a country is predominantly Muslim, it can never be secular.

[@joygun9415]

I am okay with Hagia Sophia . It should become church or museum again . I never supported the transformation as a turkish. masjid el aqsa is a mosque. if jews turn it into synagogue what will muslims feel? Still so much people don't support this but there are a certain , ultra religious group and they are strong for now

[@gunduzbey9805]

BRO WHAT Ayasofya cami olarak kalacaktır

[@alexanderthemeek]

No mention of burning of all books written in Osmani Tukce or how many people were forced to abandon their language and script

[@ersgtr3421]

What language are you referring to? Turks speak Turkish

[@alexanderthemeek]

@@ersgtr3421 I was referring to Osmani Turkish that was banned and most of the books written in that script were burned

[@ersgtr3421]

@@alexanderthemeek not true. Nothing was burned and there’s no such thing as Osmani Turkish. Turkish is Turkish.

[@ersgtr3421]

@Ghost Ghost you don’t know what you are talking about. The accents are there however Istanbul accent was selected as it was more refined and easy on the ear. This is similar to US. One accent is selected for schools. Accents are there but if you go to school teachers are there that are trained for Istanbul accent. Most people have the ability to shift between their native accent to Istanbul accent. And accent has nothing to do with the books. Turkish people speak Turkish. An Uyghur Turk can understand the language in Turkey in one week and can become a speaker in two weeks or vice versa. So since Turks speak Turkish like all other Turks, the language was not and cannot be banned.

[@ersgtr3421]

@Ghost Ghost I know what language means and I know what Turkish means because I am Turkish. What you referred to was only used in and around the palace not much spoken though it was more in writing. It was not the official language of Turks. It was the official language of the palace. Again Turks speak Turkish simple as that. It’s the very same language that you can find in Azerbaijan. I can also understand other Turkic languages. So it shows that you know nothing. You talk like an expert without knowledge

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

The two great symbols of the Greek Civilization, the Parthenon in Athens and Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, were both dedicated to Wisdom. A strange (or not) coincidence...

[@MegaUJA]

hagia sophia isnt greek its roman

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

@@MegaUJA The Roman civilization is the continuation of the Greek Civilization. As a famous Roman poet once said "Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artes intullit aggresti Latio".

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

@@MegaUJA Btw... I hope you understand that even the name "Hagia Sophia" is in Greek language.

[@MegaUJA]

@@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt bullshit

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

@@MegaUJA Hahaha Try books. But be careful... at first it might be dangerous. 😂😂😂😂

[@deliasl4021]

Religion and politics should not mingle. Spirituality has nothing to do with legislation. It is a personal choice and so it should remain. I am Catholic, got plenty of Muslims friends, we agree and we disagree but we both respect each other. Should our faiths affect our civil rights? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

[@Wartensteiin]

Why should they be seperated?

[@tabuiakazeem]

Turkey was like a rag during Ataturks days which really impresses every white skin nation. Gdp is cripple, worse than a 3rd country . Religion which was Turkeys Foundation changed to western bikini styles. Turkey followed Ataturks Crooked eyes. Today with Erdoghans leadership , the first president in Turkey history to boost economy and military strength and power. All the white skin nations are very disappointed and embarrassed. They disagree with the change and the modern advance The Ataturks followers were all annoyed with all these changes.No alcohol no half naked ladies walking in streets They are disappointed With all the changes. Erdoghan didnt give a damn.Wether they like it or not .The change must be done according to the 36 Sultan who were once Ruling and built Turkey to one of the highest and strongest nation in the entire planet. But not these Ataturks followers Who will ruin Turkey . No president has ever taken Turkey to become the 8th in gdp rank in the world. ERDOGHAN may not be 100% perfect.He have weaknesses . But At least he done something NO Turkish President has ever done before

[@syedrafi2258]

You can call these secular Turks the real enemy of Turkish race cuz only real Muslim Turks can preserve their ancestry ,while these secular Turks marry their daughters to westerners to erase turk identity