Head of Religious Affairs Directorate Görmez retires

The head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate Mehmet Görmez's retirement request has been accepted, Turkish officials announced on Monday.

Ekrem Keleş, the current head of the High Commission of Religious Affairs, will take the interim role until a new name is appointed to the post.

Görmez's departure from the duty has been in the headlines for the last couple of months. Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed Görmez made a request to leave the post and ruled out claims that he would be dismissed.
The 58-year-old professor has been the head of Diyanet since 2010. Görmez completed his Islamic studies at Ankara University and later worked in different universities in Kazakhstan, Egypt, and the United Kingdom.