“Turkey has again confused faith tourism and religious freedom in the announcement that the Imera Monastery has been partially restored,” reported International Christian Concern (ICC) on November 19. “It is acknowledged that the Imera Monastery is an important Christian site in the eastern Black Sea region, but the fact that Christians in this area suffered […]
Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus
Turkey is more and more in the international news these days because of its violations of the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Cyprus and Greece. These violations in the Eastern Mediterranean threaten the stability and security of the wider region. A maritime deal signed on 6 August set out the sea boundaries between Egypt and […]
Turkey: Nine Churches Named Hagia Sophia Have Now Been Converted to Mosques
Much of the international community has been shocked by the news concerning Turkey’s conversion of two historic Hagia Sophia churches into mosques in Istanbul and Trabzon. The famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul was originally founded as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the sixth century CE. It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman […]
September 6, 1955: Turkey’s Kristallnacht
September 6, 1955 started just like any other day for the Greeks, Armenians, and Jews of Istanbul—or Constantinople. ”I resided in Cengelkoy with my wife and two children back then,” wrote Apostolos Nikolaidis in the book I Nihta ton Kristallon. ”Just as protests were starting in Taksim, I left my shop in Karakoy and went […]
Cyprus: 46 Years of Turkish Occupation
What does the international community often think when they hear “Cyprus”? A beautiful island country in the Eastern Mediterranean? A heavenly holiday destination? Warm weather and scenic beaches? All of these are true. However, this small and resilient island country also has a dark and criminal history – a history shaped by the Turkish occupation […]
Turkey and Jihad
Turkey is in the news again for its hosting Hamas terrorists and granting them Turkish passports. The covenant of Hamas openly aims for annihilation of Israel. In a written statement, the US State Department “strongly objected” to Turkey’s hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul on August 22. Hamas leaders received red-carpet treatment from Turkish President […]
Reform in Islam?: Interviews with Islamic Theology Students in Turkey Tell a Different Story
A master’s degree thesis recently written in Turkey reveals the attitudes of the students at two Islamic studies departments concerning violence against women, polygamy and gender-based segregation in education. The findings of the thesis make us once again pose this significant question: Would an “Islamic reform” make the Muslim communities more humanitarian and a safer […]
Turkey: “Banning Early Marriages is Fighting Against Allah”
A Muslim group in Turkey has set up a platform called “Turkey’s Platform of Family Assembly for Young Marriages” to defend child marriages and expressed their opposition to women’s rights advocates and international conventions, accusing them of “increasing prostitution and violence.” In a written statement, the President of the Platform, Adem Çevik, said that “to […]
Turkey: When Alevis Were Burned Alive
On July 2, 1993, yet another massacre targeted defenseless members of a religious minority in Turkey. On that day, a group of Alevi intellectuals were publicly burned alive by pious Muslims at a hotel in the city of Sivas. The perpetrators still remain unpunished. Moreover, many defense lawyers have had prosperous careers in Turkish […]
Yezidis: A History of Persecution
The ISIS genocide in 2014 against Yezidis in Iraq and Turkey’s occupation of parts of northern Syria since 2018 have brought a long-suffering people to the attention of the world. The Yezidis (or Yazidis/Ezidis) are a non-Muslim community indigenous to northern Mesopotamia. Named after their ancient faith, Yezidis have a rich oral tradition combining aspects […]