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TURKEY-POLITICS-PROTEST
Turkey holds four over artwork depicting Islam holy site
ANKARA, Jan 30, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish police detained four people
after artwork depicting Islam’s holiest site viewed as offensive by
Ankara was hung at an Istanbul university at the centre of recent
protests, officials said Saturday.
The four individuals were detained on suspicion of “openly
denigrating the religious values adopted by a section of the public”,
the governor’s office said.
The police were on the hunt for two others, it added, describing the
artwork as an “ugly attack” on Islam.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a tweet Saturday
that “four LGBT deviants” had been detained in comments which caused
upset on social media.
The artwork, which according to the Istanbul governorate also
included a rainbow flag, a symbol associated with the LGBT community,
was hung opposite the rector’s office Friday at Bogazici University,
the governorate said, in a move swiftly condemned by Turkish
officials.
The “disrespect” shown to the Kaaba was “neither freedom of
expression nor the right to protest”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, tweeted.
He vowed Saturday “this deviance will get the punishment it deserves
before the law”.
There have been weeks of protests at the university against what
protesters claim is the politically motivated appointment of the new
rector, Melih Bulu, by Erdogan.
The Turkish president earlier this month accused some of those
taking part of being “terrorists”.
While homosexuality has been legal throughout modern Turkey’s
history, gay people often face harassment and abuse.
LGBT events were blocked in recent years including Istanbul Pride.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2350hrs