Turkish President Erdogan marks Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday marked the Muslim holiday of Eid-al Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice.


In a message, Erdogan described Eid al-Adha as a "spiritual blessing" and said he hoped the occasion would bring goodness to Türkiye, the Turkish nation, the Islamic world, and humanity as a whole.

"To all our brothers and sisters who are welcoming this holiday with sadness, pain and deep sorrow in different corners of our spiritual geography, particularly those in Gaza, I extend my strongest messages of solidarity on behalf of myself and my nation, and I congratulate them individually on Eid al-Adha," he said.

Millions across Türkiye on Wednesday performed prayers on the first day of the holiday.

The holiday commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son at the command of God, before the last-minute divine substitute of a ram.

Muslims sacrifice animals in commemoration of this intervention and share the meat with the poor and their relatives.