Increasing prejudice and disrespect towards Christians persists in Turkey

In 2024, a troubling trend emerged in Turkey, as foreign Protestant Christians working as religious workers faced expulsion, rejection, or were denied residence permits and visas. The countries of origin for these workers remain unspecified in the provided search results.

The report, released by an undisclosed source, documents numerous instances of foreign Christians being deported, refused entry, or denied residency. These communities also miss out on benefits such as free electricity and tax exemptions from authorities.

Many of these religious workers have been living in Turkey for many years, maintaining no criminal record or court documents. However, the report indicates that Protestant churches in Turkey are facing difficulties in obtaining a legal status for registration.

According to the report, religious workers in Protestant churches are primarily from the US, UK, South Korea, Germany, other European countries, Latin America, and various regions. The 214 Protestant fellowships in Turkey, with most located in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, struggle to gain legal status. Only 152 have been successful in their registration efforts.

The report also highlights the difficulty for Protestant churches to be registered properly as religious foundations, church associations, or representative branches. This impediment results in numerous challenges for these communities, including finding places to worship and often paying unusually high rents.

In addition to registration issues, Protestant communities without legal status face other hardships. The Didim Light Church, for instance, was denied permission to distribute brochures. The Antalya Bible Church was prevented from inviting Turks to Easter and Christmas celebrations multiple times.

The entry ban for foreign believers has created a humanitarian problem, disrupting family unity and causing chaos. A notable example is the entry ban that affected the Salvation Church association in Istanbul, where an armed attack occurred on the building on New Year's Eve.

The right to train and develop religious leaders is considered a foundational pillar of the freedom of religion and belief. However, Turkish laws continued to block the possibility of training Christian clergy and opening schools for religious education in 2024.

The Turkish Association of Protestant Churches' latest Human Rights Violation report shows an increase in hate speech directed at Protestant Christian individuals or institutions. The report documents cases of hate crimes such as the dismissal of a Christian English teacher from a private school and the burning of a New Testament.

The report also denounces an increased use of social media to insult Protestant Christians. Despite the protection of religious freedom by the Turkish Constitution, Protestant Christians experienced hate crimes solely due to their faith.

In conclusion, the situation for Protestant Christians in Turkey remains challenging. The ongoing issues with registration, the entry ban for foreign believers, and the increase in hate crimes and hate speech are causing significant hardships for these communities. It is hoped that efforts will be made to address these issues and promote religious freedom and equality in Turkey.