The web site of The Guardian, one of Great Britain’s most widely read newspapers, reported on Adnan Oktar’s invitation to Richard Dawkins to take part in an open debate. The report, which appeared on the Science page on 19 August, 2008, under the headline “Creationist challenges Dawkins” read:
“... his [Richard Dawkins’] latest challenge comes from a … Turkish figure called Harun Yahya whose lavishly produced ... four-volume tome The Atlas of Creationcaused a stir last year when it was sent to thousands of academics across Europe.
Yahya (real name Adnan Oktar) has invited Dawkins to debate Darwin"s theory of evolution with him publicly. Yahya believes the theory ‘has lately suffered a global collapse’.
‘If Dawkins sincerely believes in this theory, we"d like to invite him to Turkey, or else we could come to UK to have a discussion. Dawkins should clarify hundreds of questions, only a few of which are listed below, before the cameras. So we, as well as the public, will be able to hear what he has to say.’
‘Let Dawkins ask the same questions to us, and let us give our answers. Let us supply our evidence, and let him bring his - if he has any. Then let the public decide who is right.’”