PM Davutoğlu moves to adjust noon break at public institutions for Friday prayer

The government announced yesterday that it will regulate staff breaks at public institutions to allow for Friday Islamic prayer times.

"We have prepared a draft circular letter to adjust working hours on Friday so as not to hamper freedom of worship," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said at a meeting. Davutoğlu said that the arrangement will enable public officials to easily perform their Friday prayers without any disruption to full-time work.

Friday prayers are a requirement for Muslim men and must be performed every week in a mosque; prayers usually last for around 30 minutes. The vast majority of Turkey's population is Muslim.

According to current regulations the noontime break generally starts at 12 p.m. and ends at 1 p.m. at public institutions. Some provide a noon break between 12:30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.

The Presidency of Religious Affairs has set the call for Friday prayer at 12 p.m. during winter while it is recited at 1 p.m. in the summer.