From IslamOnline, with thanks to Ali Dashti, who suggests that Turkey may be ill-advised to present itself so openly as a “Muslim Club” while it is trying to join the EU:
CAIRO, December 31 (IslamOnline.net) – Protestant missionaries are planning to proselytize some 10 per cent of Turkey’s 70 million population by 2020, the Turkish army warned in a report published Friday, December 31.
Up to one million gospels are planned to be distributed among the Turkish people during this period, Turkish daily Zaman reported Friday, citing the “Proselytizing Activities in Turkey and the World” report.
The missionaries are trying to fill the “spiritual void” left by the youths’ ignorance about the basic tenets and rituals of Islam, according to the report.
The proselytizers are playing on pitting the Sunnis and the `Alawiyyin against one another to preach about the Christian faith, the report added….
The report further said that 15,000 Turks have been converted to Christianity, and other sects like Baha”iyyah over the past few years.
Of the converters, 185 Muslims have officially changed their religion to Christianity over the past three years and only one to Judaism, the report added.
Ali Dashti also says: “Notice how few of those who leave Islam do it officially. Why do you think?”
In case anyone doesn’t know the answer, it’s because of the fact that although the dhimmi laws are no longer officially on the books in Turkey, they still exert enough influence to make life exceedingly difficult for Christians there.