Three mosques robbed in Turkey every day, says deputy prime minister

ANKARA

An inside view of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque in Istanbul. Deputy PM Bozdağ says around 4,950 mosques had been robbed over the past five years. Hürriyet photo

An average of three mosques are robbed in Turkey daily, according to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, who revealed the surprising statistics in response to a parliamentary question, daily Habertürk reported.

Bozdağ said around 4,950 mosques had been robbed over the past five years, an average of three mosques each day. Of those robberies, 454 cases have been solved, Bozdağ said. Most of the robberies focus on rugs, carpets, electronic devices, coal, shoes, money and similar items, he added.

The parliamentary question, submitted by Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy İhsan Özkes, also included inquiry about the exact number of strands of Prophet Muhammad’s beard held in Turkey.

Over 1,800 mosques contain strands of Sakal-i Serif, strands of hair from the beard of the Prophet Mohammed, and two incidents of robbery targeted the Sakal-i Serif. Investigations continue to find the stolen pieces, Bozdağ said.