Turkish president condemns police raid on Berlin mosque

ANKARA

Turkey’s president on Friday denounced a German police raid earlier this week on a mosque in Berlin.

“I strongly condemn the police raid on Mevlana Mosque in Berlin during the morning prayers,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter, saying the police action was “obviously nourished by racism and Islamophobia, totally flouting freedom of belief, and bringing Europe closer to the darkness of the Middle Ages.”

"Europe, which for years has been referred to as the cradle of democracy, human rights, and freedoms, has today unfortunately turned into a structure that fights its differences," Erdogan said.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey would never allow any excuse for vulgar violations of any place of worship.

Turkey will decisively continue its global fight against racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, he added.

German police on Wednesday raided the mosque over a financial investigation while worshippers were gathered for morning prayers.