Police raid on Berlin mosque brings “Europe closer to Middle Ages”– Erdogan

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a German police raid earlier this week on a mosque in Berlin.

“I strongly condemn the police raid on Mevlana Mosque in Berlin during the morning prayers,” Erdogan said on Twitter, adding the police action was “obviously nourished by racism and Islamophobia, totally flouting freedom of belief, and bringing Europe closer to the darkness of the Middle Ages.”

"Europe, which for years has been referred to as the cradle of democracy, human rights, and freedoms, has today unfortunately turned into a structure that fights its differences," Erdogan said.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey would never allow any excuse for vulgar violations of any place of worship.

Turkey will decisively continue its global fight against racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, he added.

An 'ugly act'

Earlier Turkish foreign ministry "strongly condemned" the police raid, saying the incursion of some 150 personnel with boots during morning prayers was "inexplicable" and an "ugly act."

"Such an ugly act in the capital of a country that tries to lecture others on freedom of expression and belief is also thought-provoking," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

"This raid was not only against the community in the Mevlana mosque; it was also an act against all the Muslim community, and it is inexplicable," it said.

READ MORE: Turkey condemns pig's-head vandalism of German mosque

Mosque refutes allegations

The German police raided Mevlana Mosque in Berlin on Wednesday over what it said was a financial investigation. 

The mosque rejected the allegation in a statement on the same day and criticised how the police conducted the search, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported.

"The Mevlana Mosque is a long-established community that is known throughout Berlin for its social engagement. 

"Instead of rewarding it for this, the mosque needs to justify itself. Our community did not deserve this," the statement read.

Germany 'marginalising' Muslims 

Ankara urged the German authorities to acknowledge that the Muslim community, whose population in Germany is almost five million, is an integral part of Germany and stop "excluding and marginalising them."

Some 150 police personnel walked inside the mosque in their boots, which Turkey called "inexcusable."

"It is also a new example of the prejudiced, discriminatory and disproportionate treatment suffered by Germany's Muslim community," the statement said.