The Mufti of Istanbul, Mustafa Çağrıcı, said that the new satellite cities and large housing complexes built around the city did not have any mosques and became an issue of concern. He said that apartment complexes like Acarkent, Beykoz and Ataköy which included thousands of buildings did not have any mosques around them. He stated that the new generation was estranged to their religious and cultural values. He said that for the constructors of these housing complexes building mosques would be losing money and he emphasized that according to the law, a certain number of religious institutions should be built in relation to the population of an area.
Çağrıcı also criticized the high volume of the call to prayer and said that this was one of the reasons that prevented the building of mosques in these areas. He said that he was really sad that people did not hear the phrase "Allahuakbar" and some people even travelled to other neighborhoods to listen to the call to prayer.
Source: Yeni Şafak (Turkey), August 25, 2010
