Religious groups cancel public events

Leaders of three religious groups with considerable followings among Turkey's faithful have canceled their weekly public appearances this week.

Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, more commonly known as "Cübbeli Ahmet Hoca," prominent scholar İhsan Şenocak and Nurettin Yıldız all announced their traditional weekly sermons were canceled and would instead be streamed online.

Şenocak, a beloved scholar, announced on his personal Twitter account that he was canceling his weekly appearances at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul where he delivered sermons every Sunday.

Şenocak tweeted that he was the follower of "a Prophet who continued delivering sermons even during the battle" and "Allah would give him another pulpit" to deliver his sermons.

Ünlü was quoted by Turkish media saying that he canceled his appearances "in order to not to trouble security forces," implying a security threat and warned that some powers aimed to incite sectarian strife in Turkey.