Pray for Turkey in the Aftermath of the Coup Attempt.

Emotions 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 his teenage son. He said he would take the country forward in “unity and solidarity”.

“My glorious nation has given the best response to the coup plotters,” Mr Erdogan said in a televised speech, which was frequently interrupted by chants of “God is Great!”

Turkey has been through a dramatic 48 hours, on a scale never seen before, even taking in to account three previous coups and a further two military interventions – and it is not totally over yet.

More than 6,000 people have been detained, mostly from the military and judiciary,  and the expectation is that numbers could rise further. One Twitter user commented “this is an opportunity for the governing party to cleanse out all opposition to the presidential system”.

Mr Erdogan’s critics are now wondering if he will he make use of the latest events as leverage to push harder for a constitutional change that would further enhance his powers.

According to the foreign ministry, the overall death toll for the weekend violence has risen to 290, with more than half of those being civilians who were caught up in the violence.

• Pray for Turkey, as it is at a significant crossroads in terms of continued democracy and freedom for its people.
• Pray for the Turkish government, in particular the president. Pray for good and wise decision to be made, both in terms of dealing with the perpetrators of the coup and the future government of this country.
• Pray for the peace across Turkey in the aftermath of the coup, and for those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
• Pray that Turkish believers will have opportunities to share their faith and hope in the midst of the turmoil, and that many across this nation will come to know and accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

Psalm 46 vs 10: “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth”

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth