Turkey: Christians Despised

Four years after the brutal murders of three Christians at a publishing house in Malatya, Turkey, attitudes toward Christians in Turkey have become even less favorable. According to a new report from the Turkish Association of Protestant Christians, the Christian minority in Turkey suffer discrimination, slander, personal attacks and attacks against churches on a daily basis.

Legal changes that followed Turkey’s bid to become a full member of the European Union made it possible for non-Muslims to found places of worship in Turkey. In practice, however, “negative attitudes of civil servants” pose substantial barriers to non-Muslims, especially Protestants, who want to establish places of worship. Local officials often refuse to issue licenses to new churches; last year, three churches faced legal problems relating to their buildings.

Missionary activities are still considered a national threat, despite the existence of Turkish laws that guarantee citizens the freedom to teach and propagate their faith. In addition, Christian parents have reported that schools are not allowing them to withdraw their children from Islamic teaching, even though authorities, in principle, permit them to do so.

Christians had hoped that national outrage at the murders of the three Christians in Malatya would prompt officials to take a stronger stand against religious intolerance. Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske were tortured and murdered in April 2007. The trial for their killers drags on as prosecutors try to tie the case to a larger conspiracy against the Turkish government. Twenty people were arrested in connection with the case in simultaneous raids on March 17, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

The threat of violence against Christians remains. Last week, Turkish media reported that police had detained two teenagers on suspicion of plotting to murder a church leader in Istanbul, according to Compass Direct News.

Sources: Release International, Compass Direct News, Christian Solidarity International.

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