Turkish Proposal in Front of Kaaba Went Viral

Mecca, 23 Jumadil Akhir 1438/ 22 March 2017 (MINA) – Turkish media TRT reporter Yusuf Akyön may have taken the cake when he popped a marriage proposal to his girlfriend in front of the holy sites Kaaba in Mecca this week.

The young man decided to surprise his loved one, taking advantage of the presence of their families, and pulled a ring from his pocket, saying: “We are here in front of the Kaaba and in the presence of our blessed mothers, Arab News reported.

Akyön is the son of the Turkish Press Attaché in Saudi Arabia Bahattin Akyön, Sözcü Newspaper reported.

Despite the fiancée’s shock, she jokingly asked Akyön to kneel while asking for her hand. “Kneel down otherwise I won’t say yes,” she said. The young man eventually kneeled before her, in a Hollywood-style moment.

However, Akyön faced a wave of criticism after posting the video online and had to delete his social media accounts.

Some Turkish social media users reacted to the video, saying it was disrespectful of the reporter to propose in such a sacred place.
Some even demanded the Turkish TV channel fire the reporter and hold him accountable for his actions.

“Intentionally or not, your correspondent, Yusuf Akyön, should be taught a lesson for abusing our holy sites,” user Merve Septioglu said on Twitter.

Others accused the reporter of seeking attention and fame by filming such a video, while some feared the move would trigger a ban on Turks performing Umrah and visiting the Kaaba.

Arabs social media users also shared their thoughts on the matter, with mixed reactions.

“I respect romance and cultures of other nations, but I wish [for] the same respect for our holy sites. Did you really have to propose to her here and in this way?” Waleed Al-Farraj, the editor-in-chief of Ayn Al-Youm news website tweeted.

However, some users came to his defense.

“Makkah people marry in the Grand Mosque and even invite others. It is normal,” Khalid Balbisi tweeted.(T/RE1/RS5)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)