Turkey criticizes US for not hosting Ramadan dinner

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the U.S. State Department over reports that it would not host a dinner ending the day’s fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Erdogan said Thursday that the decision not to host an Iftar dinner amounted to discrimination and was causing Turkey’s “views on the United States to change.” He was speaking at an Iftar dinner in Ankara.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson turned down an initial proposal to hold an Iftar dinner but was still considering other possibilities for recognizing the occasion, according to State Department officials.

Erdogan said: “Did you not say you did not oppose freedom of religion? What is this that you are doing?”