As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more violent coreligionists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria impose Sharia by force in Mosul and the surrounding areas, he prefers to impose it less violently and more gradually, by means of measures like this one.
“Bars in touristic resort handed over to Turkey’s top religious body,” by Turan Yılmaz, Hürriyet Daily News, June 14, 2014 (thanks to Joshua):
Some 22 establishments in Alaçatı, including restaurants and bars, have been handed over to the Diyanet.
Some 22 establishments, including restaurants and bars in Alaçatı, previously owned by İzmir Governor’s Office, have been handed over to the Diyanet by an internal commission.
The move has caused outcry, with local officials denouncing an alleged attempt to “impose a certain lifestyle” and warning the move threatened tourism in the town.
The Çeşme municipality, which Alaçatı is a part of, stated according to common practice, shops should be handed over to the local authorities when requested.
“But giving properties to the Diyanet instead of the Çeşme municipality is a very ironic situation. We will take legal action on the issue,” said Mayor Muhittin Dalgıç, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Some 14 shops in the area sell alcohol and many remain open until the late hours of the night during the summer. Properties turned over to the Diyanet also include the Pazar Yeri Mosque, which was converted into a church-mosque after its restoration and is used by the two religious communities.
‘Similar practices in many provinces’
CHP Deputy Head Veli Ağbaba accusing the government of seeking to harm tourism in Alaçatı.
“What the government does is spoliation against its own citizens. Those who are aiming for only one type of people in Turkey are imposing their own way of living,” said Ağbaba, claiming that in İzmir province alone – a CHP stronghold – some $4.5 million worth of properties have been “usurped” from the municipality.
“The total of amount of the properties that have been usurped from our municipalities is over $10 million. We are now starting legal action regarding all of this. We will not only open lawsuits, we will file complaints against the public servants and governors responsible for these practices,” he said….