Turkey: Update to TUR23949.E of 5 June 1996 on the treatment of Muslims who convert to Christianity; reports of harassment by the authorities or accusations of attempts to proselytize with particular emphasis on reports of harassment of Mennonite converts (1998-1999)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TUR31786.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Turkey: Update to TUR23949.E of 5 June 1996 on the treatment of Muslims who convert to Christianity; reports of harassment by the authorities or accusations of attempts to proselytize with particular emphasis on reports of harassment of Mennonite converts (1998-1999), 1 May 1999, TUR31786.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab0118.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Detailed information on the treatment of Turkish Muslims who convert to Christianity is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. On the general subject of the treatment of Christians in Turkey, the July 1997 United States Department of State report "United States Policies in Support of Religious Freedom: Focus on Christians" states that:
Many prosecutors regard proselytizing and religious activism on the part of either Islamic extremists or evangelical Christians with suspicion, especially when they deem such activities to have political overtones. Since there is no law explicitly prohibiting proselytizing, police sometimes arrest Islamic extremists and evangelical Christians for disturbing the peace. Courts usually dismiss such charges. If the proselytizers are foreigners, they may be deported, but generally they are able to reenter the country easily.
An Istanbul based correspondent for Middle East International stated that she was unaware of any recent specific incidents of harassment of Muslim converts to Christianity by the authorities, but did indicate that generally "the authorities do not take kindly to attempts to proselytize Muslims" (19 May 1999).
After a bomb attack against a Christian bookstall at the Gaziantep Industrial Trade Fair by Islamic extremists in September 1997, local authorities discouraged the bookstall from re-opening on the grounds that protection against further attack could not be guaranteed (Maranatha Christian Journal 23 Sept. 1997).
Christian media reports concerning Turkey's Christian minorities and missionary activities in Turkey make no reference to harassment by the authorities for proselytizing (L'Osservatore Romano 13-20 Aug. 1997; Missionary Spotlight Oct. 1998; ibid. Jan. 1999).
References to the presence of Mennonites in Turkey are scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Mennonites were among the participants in an interdenominational "Reconciliation Walk", which retraced the route of the First Crusade, including time spent in Turkey, and offered apologies for the violence of the Crusades and "the misuse of the name and message of Jesus Christ" (Oct. 1998).
In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the Divisional Assistant for Global Ministries of the Mennonite Board of Missions in Elkhart, Indiana indicated that she was unaware of any Mennonite activity in Turkey (13 May 1999). Similarly, the General Secretary of Rosedale Mennonite Missions, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which does undertake some activities in Turkey, stated that the focus of the work was merely to provide a Christian presence and that he too was unaware of any specifically Mennonite activities in Turkey (13 May 1999).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Correspondent, Middle East International, Istanbul. 19 May 1999. E-mail.
Maranatha Christian Journal. 23 September 1997. "Christian Bookstand Attacked in Turkey." [Internet]
Mennonite Board of Missions, Elkhart, IN. 13 May 1999. Telephone interview with Divisional Secretary.
Missionary Spotlight. January 1999. "Istanbul - City of Need." [Internet]
_____. October 1998. "The Republic of Turkey - Where Europe and Asia Meet." [Internet]
L'Osservatore Romano. 13-20 August 1997. Picucci, Egidio. "Witness to an Intense Spirituality: Turkey's Christian Minority Communities Survive Because of Their Deep Cultural Roots." [Internet]
Reconciliation Walk. October 1998. "Mennonites Participate in 'Healing' and 'Hope' with Global Implications." [Internet]
Rosedale Mennonite Missions, Lancaster, PA. 13 May 1999. Telephone interview with General Secretary.
United States Department of State. 22 July 1997. "United States Policies in Support of Religious Freedom: Focus on Christians." [Internet]