“Turkic states should develop joint strategies against harmful movements,” Safi Arpaguş, Head of Türkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs stated at the 7th Meeting of Muslim Religious Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), APA reports.
In his speech, Safi Arpaguş emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among Turkic states in religious, cultural, and spiritual spheres against the backdrop of global challenges and a crisis of values.
He said that the OTS has already become an important strategic union and that meetings of the heads of religious affairs and religious administrations of member countries should not be limited only to political and economic issues.
“These meetings should be regarded as a strategic consultation platform that ensures our unity in social, cultural and spiritual areas,” the head of the directorate noted.
Safi Arpaguş said that such meetings are of great importance in terms of reviving religious, historical, and cultural ties and forming common views and approaches against the negative effects of globalization.
Head of Türkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs pointed out that Islamic civilization is built on universal values encompassing all humanity. He said that passing the rich heritage of the Turkic-Islamic world on to future generations is an important responsibility.
In his speech, Safi Arpaguş also touched upon religious radicalism and the misuse of religious values, saying that some structures create discord in societies by using religious concepts and sow seeds of confrontation among Muslims.
He noted that attempts to associate Islam with violence and terrorism, as well as systematic pressure against Muslims, hate speech, and xenophobia in various regions of the world, are a cause for concern.
“As Turkic states, we are obliged to develop a common position and strategies against all harmful movements that could threaten our stability and internal security,” Safi Arpaguş emphasized.
Safi Arpaguş also noted the importance of increasing the exchange of experience among the religious institutions of Turkic states. According to him, this could contribute to preventing the misperception of Islam worldwide and its exploitation by terrorist organizations.
The head of Directorate also drew attention to new social and moral problems created by globalization, artificial intelligence, and digitalization. He stressed the importance of developing joint awareness-raising and guidance projects aimed at protecting families and the younger generation.
“Our cooperation is important in such areas as setting common dates for religious holidays, the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, halal food, etc.,” Safi Arpaguş noted.
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