‘They Wanted to Leave Ankara Without a Mosque’, Says Erdoğan At Opening Ceremony of New Mosque

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken at the opening ceremony of Melike Hatun Mosque in Turkey's capital city of Ankara and addressed remarks to the charitable personality of the historical figure Meliha Hatun whom the mosque was named after.

"Melike Hatun had many mosques build in Ankara"

"Melike Hatun had lived in the 14th century. She, who was also originally from Ankara, has a grave in Taşçılar street. She had let many mosques and madrassahs (Muslim theological schools) get built in Ankara".

"They left cities without mosque, call to prayer, soul"

"It is an undeniable fact, that there was an attempt to rip Ankara off of its archaic identity and leave it without a mosque in the single-party period.

"The verse of the quran commands that we protect mescits (small mosques) and rejuvenate them".

"Those who did not let people enter the city center judging them on the clothes, want to leave the newly built cities without mosques, calls to prayer and a soul as well. Underground mosques have been Ankara's destiny for a long time". (EKN/DG)

* Photograph: Halil Sağırkaya - Ankara / Anadolu Agency (AA)