A critical stage has been reached in the crisis that emerged in the mosques in Germany that are affiliated with the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB), a branch of the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), after the German authorities accused some imams employed in these mosques of performing spy actions.
According to the recent information, as a result of serious findings in the investigation conducted by the German Public Prosecutor General, there is high probability that the Federal Court of Justice will start judging those imams that are accused of spying. With a surprise decision, the Diyanet has discharged tens of imams that are associated with the scandal from their duties in Germany and called them back to Turkey.
In the recent months, it was revealed that the Turkish imams in Germany had been sending information to Ankara about the members of the Fethullah Gülen sect, which Turkey blames for the 15 July 2016 coup attempt. Following this news, the German authorities have started an investigation on the spying claims.
DİTİB DENIED SPY CLAIMS
Right after the German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the Turkish capital, the DİTİB published a statement on its web page and announced that the accused imams had been discharged by its cooperation partner Diyanet, which is the employer of the imams.
In the statement, the DİTİB didn’t accept the spying accusations and declared that various precautions were being discussed to be introduced including structural changes “in order not to experience similar controversies in the future.” Complaining of being charged without investigation, the DİTİB also asked the public not to attribute the misconduct by some imams to the whole DİTİB community.
Talking to the German press, the DİTİB officials confirmed the dismissal of the imams, however, abstained from giving any details on how many imams were discharged and called back to Turkey from Germany.
RELIGION ATTACHÉS’ ROLE
In the meantime, the Religious Services Attaché of Turkey in Düsseldorf Ramazan Ilıkkan, who is also accused of playing a role in the scandal, is allegedly recalled to Ankara according to Berlin lobbies. The Turkish authorities, however, stated that Ilıkkan had returned because his term of office had expired.
“We certainly don’t accept the spy claims. Overriding of authority is the case. The ones returned to Turkey will continue their duties as religious officials. We also didn’t recall any religion attaché. Ramazan Ilıkkan’s term of office has expired; he is currently working as a mufti,” said a senior official from Diyanet.
According to the German domestic security agency Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), religious services attachés of the Turkish Consulates in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Munich sent at least three reports to the Diyanet. The BfV thinks all spying activity was directed by the religion attachés.
AT LEAST 13 IMAMS SPIED
Burkhard Freier, Director of the BfV in North Rhine-Westphalia, said that Turkish imams had sent intelligence to the Diyanet about at least 33 people and 11 educational institutions and there were at least 13 imams who had been involve in spying.
Being a registered association under the German legislation, the DİTİB cooperates with the Diyanet, which sends about 1,000 imams to the mosques in Germany. Salaries of these imams are paid by the Diyanet, which funded by the Turkish government. The DITIB funds about 900 mosques in Germany.
