TCK will Seal our Lips, Cry Imams

Men of religion are also concerned about the newly proposed Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The 219th article of the draft allows for a two year, maximum imprisonment penalty for any man of religion who speaks ill of the state or the governing administration.

Most alarming is the possibility of punishment for a criticism delivered outside of a sermon or the mosque. Ahmet Yildiz, President of the Religious Affairs, exercised a right that may soon be a crime: he criticized the government and said that passage of the article would be the their "worst action."

Yildiz lamented that men of religion are subject to different laws than other public figures. He explained, "A man of religion who talks about the hostage crisis in North Ossetia can be accused of committing a crime."