“Turkey has again confused faith tourism and religious freedom in the announcement that the Imera Monastery has been partially restored,” reported International Christian Concern (ICC) on November 19. “It is acknowledged that the Imera Monastery is an important Christian site in the eastern Black Sea region, but the fact that Christians in this area suffered […]
Turkey, Azerbaijan commit more crimes against Armenians
On September 27, the people of the Armenian Republic of Artsakh in the South Caucasus, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, woke up to the shelling of the military forces of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani forces have since indiscriminately shelled the civilian areas of Artsakh including its capital, Stepanakert. Many residential areas have been largely destroyed by Azerbaijani bombardment. Half of the population have been displaced, the region’s rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan […]
Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus
Turkey is more and more in the international news these days because of its violations of the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Cyprus and Greece. These violations in the Eastern Mediterranean threaten the stability and security of the wider region. A maritime deal signed on 6 August set out the sea boundaries between Egypt and […]
Turkey: Nine Churches Named Hagia Sophia Have Now Been Converted to Mosques
Much of the international community has been shocked by the news concerning Turkey’s conversion of two historic Hagia Sophia churches into mosques in Istanbul and Trabzon. The famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul was originally founded as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the sixth century CE. It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman […]
September 6, 1955: Turkey’s Kristallnacht
September 6, 1955 started just like any other day for the Greeks, Armenians, and Jews of Istanbul—or Constantinople. ”I resided in Cengelkoy with my wife and two children back then,” wrote Apostolos Nikolaidis in the book I Nihta ton Kristallon. ”Just as protests were starting in Taksim, I left my shop in Karakoy and went […]
Cyprus: 46 Years of Turkish Occupation
What does the international community often think when they hear “Cyprus”? A beautiful island country in the Eastern Mediterranean? A heavenly holiday destination? Warm weather and scenic beaches? All of these are true. However, this small and resilient island country also has a dark and criminal history – a history shaped by the Turkish occupation […]
Turkey and Jihad
Turkey is in the news again for its hosting Hamas terrorists and granting them Turkish passports. The covenant of Hamas openly aims for annihilation of Israel. In a written statement, the US State Department “strongly objected” to Turkey’s hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul on August 22. Hamas leaders received red-carpet treatment from Turkish President […]
Reform in Islam?: Interviews with Islamic Theology Students in Turkey Tell a Different Story
A master’s degree thesis recently written in Turkey reveals the attitudes of the students at two Islamic studies departments concerning violence against women, polygamy and gender-based segregation in education. The findings of the thesis make us once again pose this significant question: Would an “Islamic reform” make the Muslim communities more humanitarian and a safer […]
Turkey: “Banning Early Marriages is Fighting Against Allah”
A Muslim group in Turkey has set up a platform called “Turkey’s Platform of Family Assembly for Young Marriages” to defend child marriages and expressed their opposition to women’s rights advocates and international conventions, accusing them of “increasing prostitution and violence.” In a written statement, the President of the Platform, Adem Çevik, said that “to […]
Turkey: When Alevis Were Burned Alive
On July 2, 1993, yet another massacre targeted defenseless members of a religious minority in Turkey. On that day, a group of Alevi intellectuals were publicly burned alive by pious Muslims at a hotel in the city of Sivas. The perpetrators still remain unpunished. Moreover, many defense lawyers have had prosperous careers in Turkish […]
Yezidis: A History of Persecution
The ISIS genocide in 2014 against Yezidis in Iraq and Turkey’s occupation of parts of northern Syria since 2018 have brought a long-suffering people to the attention of the world. The Yezidis (or Yazidis/Ezidis) are a non-Muslim community indigenous to northern Mesopotamia. Named after their ancient faith, Yezidis have a rich oral tradition combining aspects […]
Turkey’s Diyanet: Schoolchildren leave Islam after reading the Koran
A prominent member of Turkey’s highest Islamic institution, the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), stated that children who read the Turkish translation of the Koran “start gravitating towards” atheism and deism, a belief in a non-interventionist creator. The statement was made by Professor Cağfer Karadaş during an interview with the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak on […]
Turkey: Cross Ripped Off Door of Armenian Church
The Surp Grigor Lusavorich (St. Gregory the Illuminator) Armenian Church in Istanbul’s Kuzguncuk district has been attacked, the newspaper Agos reported. On May 23, an unknown assailant ripped off a cross from the church door. The moment of the attack was caught on surveillance cameras. This was the second attack against a church in Istanbul […]
Turkey: Killing your own neighbors
A Turkish pro-government writer recently threatened the political opposition in the country and her own neighbors with death on national TV. On May 3, Sevda Noyan said on Ülke TV that in the event of a coup attempt, her family can kill at least fifty people, including some neighbors. She said she made a list […]
Turkey: Judeopathy raises its ugly head again
Turkey – like much of the world – is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, the number of cases and casualties continues rising. Yet many anti-Semites in the country are busy on social media, demonstrating their pathological hatred for Jews, otherwise known as Judeopathy. The Turkish news website Avlaremoz, which covers Jewish-related incidents, is monitoring […]
Turkey Uses Hagia Sophia as Mosque for Islamic Prayer Again
As much of the world is struggling against the coronavirus pandemic, the Islamists in Turkey appear to hold on to their everlasting agenda: Forced Islamization and violation of non-Muslims. Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) and the Koranic verses Surat Al-Fath and Surat An Nasr were recited by two “imams” of the Hagia Sophia Church/museum, the […]
Turkey converts yet another ancient Greek church into a mosque
The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet has reported that the Hagia Sofia “Mosque” in Edirne is being restored, and it will be completed by the Islamic month of Ramadan that falls this year between 23 April and 23 May. This church was converted from church to mosque during the Ottoman era. The magnificent building was damaged during the earthquake […]
Turkey: Supreme Court of Appeals upholds prison sentence for Armenian writer for criticizing Islam’s prophet
Turkey’s Court of Cassation, also called Supreme Court of Appeals of Turkey, has recently upheld the 13-and-a-half-month prison sentence imposed by a local court on the prominent Armenian writer Sevan Nişanyan for his “offensive” statements about Islam’s prophet Muhammad, the Turkish news website Diken reported. According to the Turkish criminal code, for one to be legally […]
Greeks in Turkey on the Verge of Extinction
“There is one Greek family left in Ortaköy.” The statement has recently been made by the Ortaköy Greek Foundation Chair, Strato Dolçinyadis. “Expropriated in the 1980s, the Greek school has been returned to them as a result of their struggle at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The revenue coming from the school is […]