22.05.2026 13:10
Retired imam Ferhat Taşkın, whose images of praying at the opening of a tavern in Muğla's Fethiye district became a topic of discussion, issued a statement and apologized following the backlash. While Taşkın said, "I ask for forgiveness from Allah," the Muğla Provincial Mufti's Office stated that the person in question is a retired imam.
Retired imam Ferhat Taşkın, who became a trending topic on social media after footage of him praying at the opening of a tavern in Fethiye, Muğla, made a statement following the backlash. Taşkın stated that he was sorry for what happened, saying, "I ask for forgiveness from Allah."
"IF I HAD KNOWN THIS WOULD HAPPEN, I WOULDN'T HAVE GONE"
Taşkın, who said he faced severe criticism due to the prayer he performed at the tavern opening, expressed that he was victimized after the incident. Stating that he leaves those who made insulting comments to Allah, the retired imam said, "Some circles have used the alcohol incident there as an excuse to make harsh criticisms and insults on social media. People who don't know themselves. I leave them to Allah. I am very victimized. If I had known something like this would happen, I wouldn't have left my home, I wouldn't have passed through this road or this street."
"I ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FROM OUR PEOPLE AND ALLAH"
Apologizing after the events, Taşkın continued his statement: "In this regard, because I have caused something both to my own community and from a religious perspective, I ask for forgiveness from them, from our people, and first and foremost from Almighty Allah."
STATEMENT FROM THE MUFTIATE
As the reactions grew, the Muğla Provincial Muftiate also issued a written statement. The statement noted that Ferhat Taşkın is a retired imam and has no active relationship with the institution.
REACTION FROM CITIZENS
Citizens who reacted to the prayer at the tavern opening expressed that what happened disturbed them. Sercan Güllü, who prayed at the Sanayi Mosque, said, "For an imam to pray in such a place is not right in our opinion. I wish he hadn't done it."
Selahattin Desteci, who said he has been praying at the same mosque for many years, stated, "He made a mistake and then apologized. It was not right for him to do something like this."