Bucharest mosque will be built

A mosque will be built in Bucharest, as it offers several guarantees for security, sources within the Presidential Administration state. 

"We do not reject the idea of a mosque in Bucharest because it offers several security guarantees. (...) The timing is bad due to the context regarding immigrants and terrorism," the sources stated. 

Accordingly, in 2004, then-prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked his Romanian counterpart Adrian Nastase to allot a land where to build a mosque. Nastase agreed, and asked in return for a piece of land where to build a church in Istanbul, the above-mentioned sources state. "The Romanian Orthodox Church did not welcome the idea of having a Romanian church in Istanbul and advanced the idea of erecting a smaller edifice, such as a chapel or a pilgrimage center," the sources say. 

Subsequently, the Turkish authorities gave permission for a church to be built and identified six plots of land outside of the center of Istanbul where to erect it, but the Romanian authorities have not yet choose the site. 

The above-mentioned sources mentioned the fact that, in 2011, former Romanian President Traian Basescu met with Erdogan and gave the green light for the mosque to be built in Bucharest, and in 2015, the former government led by Victor Ponta, adopted the decision allocating a plot of land near the Romexpo exhibition venue, for the mosque to be built on. "Basescu knew very well what taking a commitment on behalf of the state entails," the Presidential Sources state. 

Recently, on March 23, on the occasion of President Klaus Iohannis' visit to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that erecting a mosque in Bucharest would be "the most beautiful expression of the dialogue and solidarity between the two countries." 

"Critical voices can be heard in every country. (...) Right now, our colleagues are working to obtain the permits. We have a completed project, but currently we want to develop it," Erdogan said. 

In his turn, President Klaus Iohannis confirmed that the documentation for obtaining the necessary permits was in the works. "They have reached the stage of requesting the building permits. This matter is incumbent on the city hall," Iohannis said. AGERPRES