Erdoğan to Muslims: Don’t lock women up

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has advised Muslims “not to lock women up” in comments made in Istanbul at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on women’s roles.“The logic that believes women should only be at home, is wrong,” Erdoğan said Nov. 2, adding that “a strong nation cannot be built based on that logic.”“That’s why we don’t have the right to ask why the West is so ahead of us,” he said, adding that it was crucial to recognize this for the development of countries.“The logic of keeping women away from everything, from science, knowledge, political life and social life is wrong,” Erdoğan said.“If we want the women to contribute in our countries’ development targets, we must first make sure they equally have their share of rights and opportunities,” Erdoğan said. “It is not realistic to expect the women to give their contribution before they are fully included in employment and decision-making mechanisms.”Earlier in the day, Erdoğan spoke at the Turkish-African Business Forum in Istanbul, warning African officials about the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group widely believed to have orchestrated the failed July 15 coup attempt.Stressing terrorism’s role in damaging economic prosperity, Erdoğan asked African countries to support his country in its fight against the followers of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.“The international fight against terrorism needs international solidarity, otherwise we will fail,” he said.During the July 15 coup attempt, 246 people were killed and 2,194 others were injured.The president stated Turkey’s Education Ministry had started taking over Gülenist-affiliated schools in many countries. “This organization is very active in the continent, they are active in 170 countries. The African continent has been abused by this FETÖ organization… It is my duty to warn you,” he said.