Speaking to Today's Zaman, Görmez said similar to the rising prestige of Turkey in the region, the directorate has a growing reputation among the Muslim communities in the Caucasus.
“Our group that was visiting the region was welcomed with great enthusiasm. We observed major issues concerning religious affairs for Muslims in the Caucasus and people asking for Turkey's help in this regard. We are working on starting a series of activities for cooperation with Muslims in this region. The exchange program for scholars is one of them,” said Görmez.
He underlined that the Diyanet has never carried on missionary activities and drew attention to the insistent demands coming from Muslims in the Caucasus. “The most important point in helping them in religious affairs is not to influence their culture and social life. We help them build their religious life on their own cultural values,” noted the deputy president.
“Despite serious inadequacies in the mosques, the efforts in the autonomous republics in the Caucasus are very exciting. Since we have a lot of information and the means to help, we have a responsibility to help Muslims in the Caucasus. We have never been involved in missionary activities or similar activities and have never intervened in countries' internal affairs. Thus, we have expressed many times that we have no goals of religious and ethnical expansion,” said Görmez.
Reiterating that the visits came after invitations from the countries, the directorate official noted that the Abu Hanifa Institute was established in the region. “This is an important step. They asked for our guidance for better success of the institute. We helped them by sending books and through the exchange of students and scholars.”
Forging recent ties with the autonomous republics of Karachay-Cherkessia and Adige, the directorate has been helping Muslims in their religious life. Görmez stated that the Directorate of Religious Affairs will continue visits to the Caucasus, adding that there are also invitations from Ossetia, Chechnya, Dagestan and the Republic of Ingushetia.
