[Destro]

Christians represent less than 1% of the population of Turkey.

In 1955 the Turks got rid of their last Christian populations as these historical photos show: The 1955 anti-Greek pogram in Istanbul, Turkey

Patriarch Athenagoras in front of the burned Church of St. Constantine of Psamma

[eleni121]

Although most churches have been destroyed in Muslim Turkey, some churches in Turkish occupied Cyprus have become hotels, bordelos, rooming houses, etc. Many others have met the same destructive fate as in Turkey and Kosovo however - elimination from the face of the earth. The Soviet Communists took a lesson in church destruction from the Turks.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

and Turkey was one of the first places the Gospel flourished during the first and second century.Amazing what repression and persecution can do.Thanks for the photo.That really drives it home

[Cleburne]

I recieved this bit of news today from the Voice of the Martyrs:

TURKEY According to Turkish World Outreach, the Turkish Christian fellowship of Batikent-Ankara was closed down by local police during worship services on September 25. A television broadcast a few days before made slanderous claims about the believers, even accusing the Christians of smashing car windows in the neighborhood where the church is located. Fortunately, the believers have been well liked, except perhaps by leaders of a nearby mosque. Local officials have ordered the Christians to stop meeting despite the guarantees of religious freedom in the Turkish constitution. The fellowship has asked for prayer as follows: that none of the believers will be abused and lies about them will be exposed publicly, that they will love and pray for those who persecute them, that they will know the peace of God and have wisdom in dealing with police and various officials, that Muslims will come to the defense of the rights of the believers, and the news media will see this as a matter of religious freedom and take the side of the servants of Christ.