At a press conference held at the Turkish religious body's center administering the hajj in Mecca, Ali Erbaş, the head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Türkiye's top religious body, announced on Saturday that a total of 92,500 Turkish citizens undertook the annual hajj pilgrimage this year. The figure includes ordinary citizens together with Diyanet staff fulfilling their duties in the holy city.

Erbaş highlighted that this year's number is the highest recorded in decades, demonstrating a significant increase from the previous year, where 37,770 Turkish citizens participated. In recent years, the participation rate has consistently remained below 80,000.

Also, Erbaş regretfully mentioned that 25 Turkish citizens died during the hajj period this year. The hajj pilgrimage, which involves visiting the sacred Kaaba in Mecca, is one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for Muslims who possess the means to embark on this journey to do so at least once in their lifetime.

This year, the hajj pilgrimage took place from June 26 to July 1, coinciding with the celebration of Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, on June 28.