Sucu says dismissial more painful than losing a child

Ayşe Sucu, the dismissed head of the Religious Affairs Foundation’s women’s center, said her dismissal is more painful for her than “losing a baby,” in remarks to private news channel Habertürk on Wednesday.

An official informed Sucu that she was dismissed from office, she said, adding that she found this way strange. “I would like at least the head [of the Religious Affairs Directorate] to come and talk to me. This hurt me,” she said. Sucu said she lost her second baby and she knows what it’s like to lose a child. “But this is heavier,” she said.

After Sucu’s summary dismissal, 28 other women employed in the women’s unit resigned. There had been rumors that Sucu was removed from office due to her headscarf style, which does not cover her whole head. It was also said in some media reports that Sucu might have been removed from office as atheists and Christians also became members of the center.

Sucu said she carried out her work-related duties with honor. Sucu said her position was not one that would have changed with a change of leadership, as it is apolitical, and that she has been working on some of the foundation’s projects for years. Sucu said her dismissal hurt her deeply.

Response from minister

Talking to private news channel NTV, Faruk Çelik, the state minister responsible for the Religious Affairs Directorate, said it is not right for Sucu to make statements to gain popularity. Çelik in a previous statement to daily Milliyet had said Sucu’s dismissal had nothing to do with her clothes or ideas.

“If doing a duty is important, dismissal from that duty should be respected as well,” Çelik said on NTV.

Çelik said Sucu was in this post for 16 years and that the women’s center is a civilian initiative. Sucu had retired from the Religious Affairs Directorate five years ago, Çelik said.

“The services and potential of a person who remains in a post for 16 years are obvious. Maybe the new administration [of the Religious Affairs Directorate] and the foundation wanted fresh blood,” he said. “We already made a change in the directorate’s administration.”

“Mr. Ali Bardakoğlu [the former head of the directorate, who was recently removed from office] really served well and at the end of eight years, he delivered his mantle to his successor in a beautiful ceremony. We expected this woman who served for 16 years to similarly pass on her mantle rather than turning this into a [popularity] issue.”