Turkish religious body: Toilet paper allowed by Islam

ANKARA, Turkey, April 7 (UPI) -- Turkey's top religious authority announced toilet paper use is permissible in Islam, but water is the preferred method of cleansing.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet, issued a fatwa stating water is the preferred method of cleaning oneself after using the commode, but toilet paper is an acceptable substitute if a water source is unavailable.

"If water cannot be found for cleansing, other cleaning materials can be used. Even though some sources deem paper to be unsuitable as a cleaning material, as it is an apparatus for writing, there is no problem in using toilet paper," Diyanet said in the statement.