State religious authority: 89 mosques damaged by PKK in southeast
PKK terrorists torched 89 mosques in the southeast where counterterror operations are taking place and are now in need of urgent repair to serve the people, Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB) head Mehmet Görmez said.
Speaking to reporters on a return flight following Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's visit to the Silopi district of southeastern Şırnak province, Görmez said that the region has seen rapid change and, as a result, the region has witnessed a transformation that defies sociological reason.
Indicating that they must first help the local people by providing financial aid, he said: "Eighty-nine mosques located in the districts where anti-PKK operations were being conducted have been damaged. Some of them are now have become dysfunctional. These mosques need to be torn down and rebuilt. Some of them require serious repairs and some of them need remodeling, at the very least. All our teams are now completing the repairs urgently."
Görmez said that the PKK's understanding – riddled with false ideologies – has infiltrated local mosques, adding the official accounts of Turkish history that are being taught to members of the organization show blatant disregard to local people, causing "some [people], in turn, to impose ideology handed down over the course of history."
The PKK also damaged historical sites such as mosques and cultural artifacts in the region. Fatih Paşa Mosque in Diyarbakır was attacked by members of the PKK who also blocked firefighters' access to the blaze. The fire left most of the mosque completely gutted. As flames engulfed the building and police and firefighters rushed to the scene, terrorists opened fire on first responders, stopping them from extinguishing the blaze.
The PKK has continued digging ditches, erecting barricades and killing security personnel doing everyday activities such as shopping or asleep are some of the tactics of this newly adopted strategy.
Speaking to reporters on a return flight following Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's visit to the Silopi district of southeastern Şırnak province, Görmez said that the region has seen rapid change and, as a result, the region has witnessed a transformation that defies sociological reason.
Indicating that they must first help the local people by providing financial aid, he said: "Eighty-nine mosques located in the districts where anti-PKK operations were being conducted have been damaged. Some of them are now have become dysfunctional. These mosques need to be torn down and rebuilt. Some of them require serious repairs and some of them need remodeling, at the very least. All our teams are now completing the repairs urgently."
Görmez said that the PKK's understanding – riddled with false ideologies – has infiltrated local mosques, adding the official accounts of Turkish history that are being taught to members of the organization show blatant disregard to local people, causing "some [people], in turn, to impose ideology handed down over the course of history."
The PKK also damaged historical sites such as mosques and cultural artifacts in the region. Fatih Paşa Mosque in Diyarbakır was attacked by members of the PKK who also blocked firefighters' access to the blaze. The fire left most of the mosque completely gutted. As flames engulfed the building and police and firefighters rushed to the scene, terrorists opened fire on first responders, stopping them from extinguishing the blaze.
The PKK has continued digging ditches, erecting barricades and killing security personnel doing everyday activities such as shopping or asleep are some of the tactics of this newly adopted strategy.