A district governor in Ankara has been surprisingly reassigned following his religious references, political posturing against CHP members, and social media arguments. Meanwhile, the President of the Constitutional Court addressed jurists with similar religious references while he was demanding they ensure justice through religious frameworks.
The controversy in Ankara’s Ayaş district began during Children’s Day celebrations on April 23. The district governorship allegedly barred a press officer of the CHP-run municipality from the ceremony area. In response to reports, District Governor Muharrem Eligül shared a social media post starting with 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim' in both Turkish and Arabic. The term translates to 'In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.' Then, he continued referencing Quran.
Eligül deleted the post shortly after. In the deleted text, he defended the governorship. 'Municipal officials took photos and videos quite freely in the ceremony area,' Eligül wrote. 'Since I supposedly used public power to block them, who took all those photos? Aliens?'
The dispute escalated when CHP lawmaker Umut Akdoğan vowed to bring the matter to parliament. 'Ayaş Governor, do not think we have forgotten you,' Akdoğan posted. Eligül replied directly to the lawmaker, writing, 'Shut up!'
Then, the Interior Ministry launched an investigation into Eligül’s social media activity following the public outcry. The ministry later announced that Eligül had been reassigned. Now, he will serve as a legal counselor for the Edirne Governor’s Office, a clear demotion.
TOP JUDGE USES ISLAMIC RHETORIC
As this administrative change took place, Constitutional Court President Kadir Özkaya drew attention for using similar religious rhetoric during a speech to judges and prosecutors. Özkaya warned judges and prosecutors against worldly temptations.
'Judges and prosecutors must strictly avoid ostentation, hypocrisy, haram, and lies,' Özkaya said. He stressed the importance of divine accountability. 'Always remember that Allah the Almighty does not allow haram earnings to be spent on good things. The hearts of people who spend haram earnings cannot see the truth.'
Haram is an Islamic term meaning forbidden or unlawful under Islamic law.
Özkaya continued with warnings about the afterlife. 'If there is a haram bite in the stomach, the owner of that stomach is blind to wisdom,' he stated. 'Saving this world does not mean the account in the hereafter is saved. The account of the hereafter will be harsh.'
Many social media users criticized Özkaya’s language. They said the head of the high court sounded more like the President of Religious Affairs or a mosque imam than a senior jurist.
