Call to Prayer Azaan Banned in Northern Cyprus

A court in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) has temporarily banned reciting the Azaan, the Muslim call to prayer.

The local court has banned the recitation of the dawn adhan through minaret speakers on the grounds that it disturbs locals in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

In the Lefke town of the Güzelyurt district, lawyer Feza Güzeloğlu requested a court to ban the recitation of the dawn adhan, which is recited in the early hours of the day, through minaret speakers. As the trial still continues, the court issued an interim decision to issue the ban until the trial is concluded.

After the decision issued on Monday, the call to prayer has been recited from the minaret speakers of three mosques in the town.  If the court’s final verdict also orders the ban, the ruling may set a precedent for other complaints.