Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood clerics promote Erdogan’s constitutional amendments across Turkey’s mosques

CAIRO - 16 April 2017: Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood clerics living in Turkey have been helping Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his campaign to pass controversial constitutional amendments, a political source in Istanbul told Egypt Today.

The source said that several Muslim Brotherhood clerics, including Sheikh Mohamed El-Soghayar, have made tours in the past few weeks in southeastern Turkish cities to promote the proposed constitutional amendments.

Egypt Today obtained pictures confirming the source’s claims.


El-Soghayar with one of the with the leader of Islamist Free Cause Party - Egypt Today


“Over the past few weeks, El-Soghayar made tours in different Turkish cities including visiting Batman, a city in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, and he gave a speech during Friday Prayers in one of the biggest mosques there,” the source reported.

“According to Turkish law, El-Soghayar, as a foreigner, is not allowed to give religious speeches in mosques; this is a violation and a crime in Turkey, but as long as he is doing that upon the request of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, nobody could stop him.”



El-Soghayar with the leaders of Islamist Free Cause Party - Egypt Today


Other media reports also revealed that local offices of Erdogan’s party have been using religious rhetoric to convince villagers to vote “Yes” in the referendum.
Turkey is voting Sunday to decide whether to expand Erdogan's powers through judicial and legislative authorities.


El-Soghayar meeting with clerics in Batman city southeastern Turkey to campaign for Erdogan constitutional amendments - Egypt Today

If the proposed amendments pass, the new presidential system will dispense with the office of prime minister and centralize the executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

If ratified, the system will come into force after the elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year mandates.