A large-scale Al Qaeda plot to bomb ‘all the churches in Ankara,’ as well as the Turkish Parliament and U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital, was made public in December. In an exclusive splashed across the front page of the daily Taraf newspaper, contents of an official indictment against 11 alleged Al Qaeda militants arrested in July revealed the home-grown terrorist cell’s alleged plans to attack Ankara’s churches as well as their Christian clergy. During raids, the police seized 700 kilos (1,500 pounds) of explosives, along with assault rifles, ammunition, bomb-making instructions and detailed maps of Ankara. Video footage found at the scene indicated the men had undergone training in the use of Kalashnikov rifles. Pray for the Turkish police and their important role in preventing attacks and pray for ongoing protection for Christians in Turkey. (Open Doors - January 2012)

“I am a Muslim and a devoutly religious person. But now I am watching Kanal Hayat and on your channel I can say I have heard words about the way of Truth. I want you to send me a New Testament. If the research we are doing shows us the New Testament is completely the word of the Lord and we believe this, we as a group  will want to meet you and join you.” Pray for this man, and very many others, who are being challenged by the message of Christ through Kanal Hayat, a Christian satellite TV channel. In April over 800 inquirers contacted the station and over 14,000 programmes were downloaded from the website. (Worldshare - September 2011)

The area which is now Turkey was once the heartland of the Christian Church - churches in Ephesus, Colossae, Laodicea and elsewhere played a significant role in the Apostle Paul's ministry. Sadly, almost all of this was destroyed. Nevertheless, since 1960, when there were only a handful of known evangelical Christians, there has been a significant growth in numbers to several thousands of believers today. Pray for these Christians, who, spread thinly around this huge country, often live out their faith in isolation and must contend with the hostility with which Christianity is held. (Worldshare - July 2011)

Approximately 20 percent of the 73 million people in Turkey are of Kurdish descent with the remaining 80 percent identifying themselves as ‘Turkish’, mainly defined by a sense of sharing a common culture and language. After years of difficulties, Turkey has recently seen strong economic growth. EU membership talks were launched in October 2005 although negotiations are expected to take at least ten years. Pray that the various ethnic and religious groups in Turkey would be united in their efforts for an improved and more peaceful society. Also pray that the EU membership application would drive further improvements in human rights for minorities. (Middle East Concern - November 2010)

Although the constitution of Turkey provides for religious freedom, the government imposes some restrictions on religious groups in order to preserve the 'secular state'. A survey taken in 2009 showed that over half of the population opposes non-Muslim religious meetings and some churches have faced difficulties when meeting for worship. There have also been reports of Christians facing threats and intimidation and several church buildings have been vandalised. Converts from Islam in particular experience harassment from their families and from the wider community. Pray for perseverance for believers facing threats and intimidation as well as for a change in attitudes towards Christianity within Turkish society. (Open Doors - August 2010)

The Legal Committee of the Alliance of Protestant Churches in Turkey reports areas of significant obstruction with regard to establishing new church buildings. Turkish Christians request our prayers that:

• Local officials are effectively trained to operate in an impartial manner.

• The minimum size requirement will be removed from zoning laws. At present this is 2,500 square metres.

• Historical church property will be made available to churches once again. Presently, these are under the control of the Ministry of Culture.

• The restrictions limiting church property to purely religious services and meetings will be lifted. Currently, the establishment of schools and community centres would be considered illegal. (Middle East Concern - March 2009)