Christian Persecution in Turkey

Christian Persecution in

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TURKEY

Persecution Report:

TURKEY

What does Christian persecution in Turkey look like?

Christians are seen by the state as a potential enemy within, a view rooted in the history of the transition from Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state. The Ottoman’s genocide of Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Christians from 1894 to 1924 drove mass emigration that has affected believing communities ever since, making Christian persecution in Turkey ever-present.

Traditional churches have been denied seminaries since the 1970s, which makes the training of priests and lay leaders difficult. Some train abroad in different languages, and not everyone returns. Legally, the government can seize any Christian place of worship that does not have a priest, so the shortage of priests leads to the closure of church buildings. The Protestant churches are denied registration as religious bodies. Persecuted Christians in Turkey almost invariably face societal pressures, including discrimination in employment. Overt evangelism is legal, but frequently unwelcome.

Leadership:
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Government:
Presidential republic
Population
84 M
Christian pop.
< 0.1%

“Even three years ago, it was so much easier. A dark blanket has fallen over the land, and this once great cosmopolitan place no longer welcomes all beliefs and peoples. We Christians can no longer depend on the government to ensure our freedoms, and we are beginning to brace for a more underground existence. There is still time to have a brighter future if we pray and work.”

— A persecuted Christian and minister in the north of the country, near Taliban dominated territory

History of Christianity

Christianity arrived early in church history. The apostle Paul was one early pioneer and Christian tradition says that John spent his later life in and near Ephesus. Several Church Councils were held in Turkey, notably at Nicea (325), Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451).

One lamentable historical event was the Fourth Crusade which sacked Constantinople motivated by tensions between the centers of power of the western churches and eastern churches.

Today, there are several traditional churches of which the Byzantine/Greek Orthodox Church is the largest. The Eastern Orthodox family of churches retains Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) as the seat of its Ecumenical Patriarch, who is “the first among equals” of the family’s presiding bishops. There are many Protestant churches most of whose members are of Muslim heritage. Numerically, the largest Christian community is probably the Farsi speaking fellowships among the Iranian diaspora.
History of Christianity

What does Christian persecution in Turkey look like?

Christians are seen by the state as a potential enemy within, a view rooted in the history of the transition from Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state. The Ottoman’s genocide of Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Christians from 1894 to 1924 drove mass emigration that has affected believing communities ever since, making Christian persecution in Turkey ever-present.

Traditional churches have been denied seminaries since the 1970s, which makes the training of priests and lay leaders difficult. Some train abroad in different languages, and not everyone returns. Legally, the government can seize any Christian place of worship that does not have a priest, so the shortage of priests leads to the closure of church buildings. The Protestant churches are denied registration as religious bodies. Persecuted Christians in Turkey almost invariably face societal pressures, including discrimination in employment. Overt evangelism is legal, but frequently unwelcome.