Fatih Nurullah Efendi, the leader of the Uşşaki sect, said in a speech broadcast by Nurani TV that the Republic of Turkey, which was established in 1920, has ended and that the second Ottoman Empire has become a reality.
“The leader of the second Ottoman Empire is Tayyip Bey [President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]. He is our first sultan,” said Nurullah Efendi.
He also claimed that the new state that has been rising after a 100-year break (referring to the Republic of Turkey) will be a continuation of the state established in Medina (by the Prophet Muhammad).
Justice and Development Party (AKP) government officials have already been under fire for their controversial remarks on religion and their attribution of righteousness to former Prime Minister and current President Erdoğan
AKP Deputy Chairman Mustafa Ataş said on March 28 that President Erdoğan is a blessing from God to the ummah, the worldwide community of Muslims.
Ethem Sancak, a businessman affiliated with the government, recently told Erdoğan — in reference to praise given to the Prophet Muhammad by his companion — “May my father, mother, wife and children be sacrificed to you.”
AKP Aydın provincial chairman İsmail Hakkı Eser was quoted as saying that he and party sympathizers love Erdoğan so much they think of him “like a second prophet.”
In a similar vein, Deputy Health Minister Agah Kafkas once said, “When we lay the foundation of a [facility], we also provide the date of its opening. This is the sunnah — Muslim practices based on the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad — of Tayyip Erdoğan.” No government officials or supporters have publicly objected to the statements.
AKP Bursa deputy Hüseyin Şahin is known to have said that touching Erdoğan is a form of prayer, while AKP Düzce deputy Fevai Arslan said Erdoğan has all the attributes of God himself.