Turkey's top Islamic cleric moves centre stage, irking secularists

Head of Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs Ali Erbas prays as he attends an opening ceremony of the Turkish House with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan in New York City, New York, U.S., September 20, 2021. Picture taken September 20, 2021. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - When President Tayyip Erdogan opened a new court complex this month, Turkey's senior cleric sealed the ceremony with a Muslim prayer, triggering protests from critics who said his actions contravened the secular constitution.

"Make this wonderful work beneficial and blessed for our nation, my God," Ali Erbas said in his address, adding that many judges had "worked to bring the justice which (God) ordered".