Islamic law forbids the construction of new churches. Christians are “forbidden to ring church bells or display crosses, recite the Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays, and are forbidden to build new churches” – Reliance of the Traveller o.11.5 (6,7)
“Turkey Grows Role of Islam,” International Christian Concern, December 31, 2019:
12/31/2019 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Turkey’s religious ministry, the Diyanet, is planning a strategic action plan budget of $11 billion until the year 2023. The ministry’s budget exceeds that of other ministries by a large margin. It is responsible for promoting Islamic education, as well as building and funding mosques. The Diyanet has projects throughout the world.
Turkey is constitutionally secular but under the leadership of President Erdogan, has increasingly leaned Islamic. Whereas the Diyanet has grown in activities to promote Islam, other religious groups in Turkey are experiencing an uphill battle to practice their faith.
For Christians, there is no legal pathway to build new churches. As a result, many are left to worship through the establishment of associations or foundations. Several Christian leaders have also warned that as the government grows the role of Islam in society, the environment becomes more challenging for believers to live as Christians.
gravenimage says
Turkey: Religious ministry has $11 billion budget to promote Islam, Christians have no legal way to build churches
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Yep. Of course, there are few Christians surviving in Turkey now–most of them were wiped out a hundred years ago in the Armenian Genocide. This what Islam has planned for all Infidels.
joe says
this is wrong . https://www.dailysabah.com/istanbul/2019/08/03/istanbuls-new-syriac-church-to-be-completed-in-2-years-erdogan-says
b.a. freeman says
“joe” – if that’s really your name – the daily sabah is based in turkey. do U really think that a regime that kidnaps people from a purported ally (the u.s.) because they have the audacity to proselytize for a religion the dictator hates will hesitate to put up bulls**t lies? come back in 2 years and show me the church, and i’ll take another look (but i won’t start out believing). BTW, have U ever heard of potemkin villages?
MINAS says
Erdogan is just speaking out of the BS side of his mouth here. BTW, non Islamic religious leaders must be approved by the government, in other words, those approved are really just agents of the Turkish government.
Chris D says
Well… Technically, I guess if you slaughter all the Christians (or in Turkey’s case, wipe out millions of Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Christians – leaving only a few thousand left) there isn’t much need for churches in an Islamic Governed land.
Besides – Turkey stole most of the Churches anyway.
Coming to Western Europe next!
(Reference Erdogan’s recent talk to the Islamists in Switzerland in November 2019, telling them to NOT Assimilate. I guess that makes it easier to oppress and destroy the Swiss later) .
Michael Copeland says
“So we will be merciful to each other. And we will be violent to the kuffar.”
Erdogan
He did not invent it. It is Koran 48:29
Jayell says
That’s as bad as Nazi Germany. We should break off all relations with Turkey and expel all Turkish citizens from the West since they are clearly a serious security risk.
b.a. freeman says
… along with all the 56.1 countries of the OIC.
+1
ronald says
Islam and Allah ask for killing the unbeliever. A believer who support a unbeliever is one of them. And unbelievers are going to hell so believers don’t want to support unbelievers in any way. So Jews and christians in Turkey has no future.
Trump needs a course in islam before dealing with Iran and the rest of the islamic world.
Leonard William Dunnet says
No he already knows how to deal with them
Walter Sieruk says
About Christians being forbidden to build Churches in Turkey . That just how devout Muslims are, they don’t like Christians.
They don’t like Jews either. For example , that character, Recep Erdogan most hate the Armenian people and likewise he must detest the United States of America and an excuse to take action against America for the US recognition of the Armenian people by the Turkish forces of Islam and the possibility of US sanctions against Turkey .
As this fits with the old saying which is “Evil is always looking for an excuse.”
Before all this Erdogan , had also declared “Whoever is on the side of Israel ,let everyone know that we are against them.” This then by those words “against them.” Likewise must mean against him of her ,as an individual, who for the State of Israel
This must thus mean that they are also against Him. Who is God for being on the side of the Israel for being for Jewish State of Israel. As it is written in the Bible, “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.” Psalm 135:4. [N.K.J.V.]
Furthermore, the Jewish people have every right to all of that land that in now part of Israel, , including the West Bank and the Golan Heights by Divine Right. As seen, for example, in Genesis 28:13-15. 35:48, 49. Psalms 105:7-11. 135:4.
In addition the Jewish people should also have that land by historic rights. As found in First Kings 4:20,21,24,25. 8:55,56.
Moreover Erdogan must then also be against President Trump This is because President Trump had wisely said “It’s time to officially recognize [the reality of] Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” Yes, indeed, it’s very much time to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of the State of Israel, and he then acted on his word and he had done so by good decision of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem .This bold and wise decision of President Trump to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has greatly offended many of the Muslim clerics . Be they, for example, the imams of Pakistan or the mullahs of Iran. Those Muslim clerics with their mind control and their unconscionable ways they manipulate the people from the mosques to be their stooges into a, violent uprising, because of the President’s decision is despicable . Some people of the left will say that the decision of move the US embassy to Jerusalem is “provoking” and it will “incite violence.” This only shows the old saying to be true .Which is that “Evil is always looking for an excuse. “ The fact is President Trump made the right decision and if the Muslim clerics don’t happen to like it ,well then it’s “tough beans.” to them
As the Bible informs its readers “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem … the Lord will be the hope of His people ,and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:16.
Jam says
We should impose the same restrictions on Islam everywhere in the West. They play hardball with their ideology, and the West should take a Trump approach to its foe, not the McCain/Romney appeasement that is so popular today.
Tony Naim says
What happened to Christianity in Turkey is a prelude to what may happen to freedom in the west.
Turks were the reason behind the crusades. Over a thousand years, they systematically eroded Christian presence in Anatolia. Through social discrimination and segregation, economic deprivation, and militarism , culminating in the genocide of Armenians, expulsion of Greek Orthodox from their historical lands.
Radical Islamic Seljuk Turks like Erdogan are the most vile off all islamists.
“ Je me Souviens”