ADF International confirmed that Turkish authorities have repetitively denied and overlooked the Protestant Church’s application. The church requires a larger space to accommodate over 100 Christians, as worshippers have been restricted to a small room that is unsafe and unfit for a growing congregation. 

Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom, calls the Turkish government’s approach a “breach of basic human rights. The land in question has been specifically designated for religious use, but the government is discriminating against the church because it is not associated with the state’s preferred religion. The systemic and bureaucratic persecution is not only in direct violation of the basic human right to religious freedom but also Türkiye’s international human rights obligations. The discrimination must stop.”

Orhan Kemal Cengiz, ADF International’s lead attorney in Turkey, highlights that Christians face constant legal battles because of their non-compliance with the state’s favoured religion: “Having a legally recognised worship place in Turkey has always been a major issue. This problem, in my opinion, causes serious infringements of one of the most fundamental human rights, namely, freedom of religion. Unfortunately, Christians face numerous legal and practical barriers when they wish to establish a legally recognised worship place in Turkey.”

The Diyarbakir Protestant Church has filed an appeal against the court’s decision. The case will be challenging due to growing nationalism and Islamic favouritism. 

Around 185 foreign Protestant ministers have been deported from Turkey since 2018. Authorities justified it by calling them threats against national security, using code N-82, designed to ban individuals deemed threats to society.

International Christian organisations expressed their concern over the future of Christianity in Turkey, especially since the conversion of the Church of Saint Saviour in Chora and Hagia Sophia Basilica into mosques. They see these efforts as threats to Christianity and an attempt to erase the traditions and culture in the country. 

Source: https://www.christianpost.com/