Turkey, SE Europe & SW Asia
Population: 71,158,647
Christians: <1%
Dominant Religion: Sunni Islam
Persecution Ranking: 35th
Political Leader: Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoganTurkey’s constitution declares it to be a secular republic and grants religious freedom. The government is pursuing membership of the EU, a process that is driving reform in many areas including human rights. The situation is improving, but problems remain. Many fellowships have difficulties renting property and becoming officially registered as a church. There are occasional violent attacks on church property and individual Christians. Last December, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer blocked a key piece of reform legislation to broaden religious freedoms in Turkey. One positive development is that religious registration is being removed from Identity Cards and other official documents. There are both long-established traditional churches and an emerging network of evangelical, Protestant fellowships in Turkey.
