Churches are facing and increase in serious threats in Turkey, where hate speech against Christians in social and conventional media has increased and Church leaders are being deported, according to the country’s Association of Protestant Churches. https://pray.interserve.org/growing-pressure-against-turkish-christians/ The findings come
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Two attackers, a policeman and a court worker have been killed in a car bomb and gun assault on a courthouse in the Turkish city of Izmir, according to state media say. Officials are blaming Kurdish militants for the attack,
Read moreA recent report on Turkey by the European Commission has highlighted the ongoing persecution of Christians in 2016, stating that, “Hate speech and hate crimes against Christians and Jews continued to be repeatedly reported.” Typical incidents recorded by churches include
Read moreOn 7th October, Turkish authorities arrested the pastor of a church in Izmir, along with his wife, and detained the couple on the grounds that they were “threatening national security”. The pastor, a US citizen, is expected to be deported
Read moreThe deputy prime minister of Turkey revealed on Monday that Turkish authorities have dismissed nearly 28,000 teachers in connection with an alleged link to terrorism. The dismissals are part of an ongoing inquiry and seeming purge of civil servants in
Read moreSeveral years ago, when ISIL threatened him and his family, Pastor Ghassan Thomas fled Baghdad and went to Turkey, where he started a church to reach out to other refugees. However, one day, the ISIL sent a spy into his
Read moreChristian workers in southern Turkey are working tirelessly to help children traumatised by the horrors perpetrated by the ISIL, despite facing danger themselves. Over the last 5 years, around two million refugees have flooded into Turkey from Syria and Iraq,
Read moreSince the attempted coup in Turkey on July 15th, there has been a resurgence of Sunni religious fervour. Turkish Imams daily recite the Selah prayer, which is used to announce a death, but is also a rallying call for fellow
Read moreEmotions are running high in Turkey, as funerals for those killed during the weekend’s attempted coup are held. President Erdogan broke down in tears while speaking at the funeral of a close political ally, his campaign manager Erol Olcak, and
Read moreFollowing an attempted coup overnight on Friday night by an army group, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was seen in a live TV speech at Istanbul airport, surrounded by cheering supporters, and declaring that the coup attempt was an
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