[4] Göçek, Fatma Müge (2015). The boys would then be forcibly converted to Islam and educated not only in military arts but also religion, history, and state affairs.

They were the last largest group of Christians in Anatolia following the Armenian Genocide. As a result of high taxes, relocation programs, the devshirme system, genocide, and other social and legal pressures stemming from a life under Muslim theocratic states, the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire slowly decreased. [10] Protestanlar: Tehdit Cok (“Protestants: ‘Threats are abundant’”); Yine rahibe saldırı yine genç bir zanlı (“Again an attack against a priest, again a young perpetrator”). The day after the attacks, I was going to a meeting on a bus, and for the first time since becoming a Christian five years before, I feared for my life. As a devout Catholic and former President of a Boston A.O.H.…, I think you are in denial. Two out of the five centers of the ancient Pentarchy are in Turkey: Constantinople (Istanbul) and Antioch (Antakya). The family was Protestant, and the caretaker Catholic, but living in a conservative town where the priest of the only Catholic Church was murdered had brought them together. Having grown up in the culture created by Islam, I have witnessed firsthand the oppression and even persecution that exists in Turkey. Providence: Berghahn Books. Dink was a vocal critic of Turkish denials of the Armenian Genocide and was accused of insulting Turkishness on many occasions. Sign up to receive a weekly email with news, analysis, and commentary from a voice you can trust! How a land that still hosts hundreds of ancient churches became a country where less than 0.5 percent of the population is Christian. Having a house to live in, a car to drive, and endless entertainment to distract from the things that matter can make one lukewarm. Since most other ethnic groups had managed to break away from the empire (like the Balkan and Arab nations), the majority of what was left by 1923 was Turkish. Whereas in America, I find that the comforts offered by the wealthiest nation in the world are distracting. Kusadasi Private Ephesus Tours © Copyright Private Ephesus Tours All rights reserved.2020 Member of TURSAB. 2003. Muhammad had supplied all the makings of a powerful empire that would one day challenge the Christian West. Mustafa Kemal would have probably preferred a religion-free society, but even he did not have the power to change people’s hearts. Now that there are far fewer Christians in Turkey, it is unlikely that your regular Turkish Joe will suddenly become more accepting of Christians. Not that your life is always in danger, but there is a snide remark here and a verbal attack there. If you were not Turkish and Muslim, then you were under suspicion.

If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. [7] Crossing the Aegean: The Consequences of the 1923 Greek-Turkish Population Exchange (Studies in Forced Migration). [10] It is the way of life for most Christians in Turkey, and the continual fire has the tendency either to make one stronger in the faith or to cause one to drift away, especially if you are a convert. To ensure that these reforms stayed in place, a strong military and ongoing indoctrination under compulsory state education were also put in place. The murderer, a 16-year-old male, was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar.” When I visited Santa Maria in Trabzon with a Protestant friend of mine, the doors were open, but there was no one inside. Many converts are accused of betraying their country for money. The problems Turkish Christians face extend far beyond the little box on your identity card that requires you declare your religion.

Most Turks believe the lie that every Bible in circulation contains a $100 bill; I have yet to find one, but I happen to be very unlucky. Most of the foot soldiers were common people and the peasants who would join the military expedition from time to time, but the empire needed a stable and loyal standing army.


Print, When I was growing up in Turkey, during my mandatory Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge courses in middle school, other belief systems of the world were briefly touched upon.
In Turkey, as a Christian you are always aware that somehow you do not belong to the folds of your own sheep. The importance of religious purity in the new nation state could easily be observed in the case of population exchanges between the Greek and Turkish governments in 1923. Christianity in Turkey. In February 2006, Father Andrew Santoro, a 61-year-old priest, was shot to death as he knelt in front of the altar in prayer in Trabzon, a city on the coast of the Black Sea.

Paris. Benjamin Braude and Bernard Lewis (Teaneck: Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1982). In order to hold the fragile country together, the idea that every other nation in the world was looking for ways to divide and conquer Turkey was pervasive. In my previous article Islam, ISIS and Turkey, I mention how Mustafa Kemal Ataturk implemented a myriad of reforms in a short time after the War of Turkish Independence.

Gądecki: Synod document departs from the teaching of John Paul II and succumbs to anti-marriage ideology. [6] Ioannis N. Grigoriadis, Instilling Religion in Greek and Turkish Nationalism, Palgrave Macmillan. In an interview with the Vatican Radio, the archbishop, who is the president […]. However, if the top levels were filled with those who had no family connections and no realistic ambition for the throne, then most of this drama could be avoided. However, being second-class subjects, Christians and Jews were expected to dress a certain way, defer to Muslims, and keep their buildings shorter, according to the Shari’a.

During the conquest, new lands were looted and many Christians were taken as slaves. Even though those in the photo were later dismissed, it was a clear indication of how the murder of someone deemed a “traitor” was perceived not only by the people but also by the authorities. In addition, the ever-growing territories of the empire needed an ever-growing supply of soldiers. The sultanate and the caliphate were abolished, and a more Western outlook was adopted. Derya M. Little [4] It started with the banishment of several hundred intellectuals and leaders from Istanbul to Ankara in 1915. Even though many in the West and most historians in Turkey claim that Ottoman Empire was a place of tolerance and peace for non-Muslims, an honest look at the facts suggest that the sultan’s government was cunning to let the Christians and Jews practice their faith under the conditions of dhimma, while making sure that everyone knew their place.

Another method of promoting Islam was the devshirme system.

Two friends of mine were the ones who found the door to the publishing house locked as the blood of the slain Christians poured into the hallway. As a result, I grew up convinced that Christians corrupted the Bible, worshipped three gods, and believed that God was created. Finally, there are those who pay the ultimate price.[9]. Devshirme—“collecting” in Turkish—was the blood tax Christians needed to pay when Ottoman military officers came to collect boys aging between eight and 18 (the younger the better) once per year. Following the mass killings of able-bodied Armenian men, most of whom lived in Eastern Anatolia, the women and children were deported to the Middle East, resulting in a death march during which thousands died from starvation, diseases, and cruel treatment. However, the joy I felt when I saw a church around every corner in America stemmed from the misguided feeling that things were easier for followers of Christ here. Over the years the dominant religion would seep into the other, eventually transforming the society into one with a more Muslim outlook.[3].

Christianity was declared as the official religion in 380, during the reign of Theodosius I, and destruction of pagan temples was legalized. New York, 2013, 60-76.

He was kicked out of my home town, Iconium, and was imprisoned in Ephesus, where we recently held a Christian camp to remind hundreds of teenagers why it is worth it to keep our eyes on Christ. Dispute continues, however, over what part Islam should have in Turkish life. After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, many of the early Christians, escaping from persecutions in Jerusalem, came to Asia Minor and settled in different cities like Ephesus, Hierapolis and Cappadocia. Death threats were part of his life, until someone decided to make good on their promise. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. I knew two of the victims of the Malatya attack, as well as the people who discovered their slain bodies.

Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. In Turkey, as a Christian you are always aware that somehow you do not belong to the folds of your own sheep. Although the initial contact with the Ottoman army inspired fear, it was not enough to stabilize the rule of the empire. Of course, it was desirable that all these infidels became Muslim, but the sultans were clever enough to know that coercion to convert to Islam would do nothing but incite instability and rebellion.

Your point of view makes it seem you are living somewhere outside the…, Thank you for having the courage to soeak up.

The first step was to impose the millet system and demand the jizya from the Ahl-al Kitab (the People of the Book, i.e., Jews and Christians). All of the first seven Ecumenical Councils which are recognized by both the Western and Eastern churches were held in present-day Turkey. Turkey is also home to the Seven Churches of Asia, where the Revelations to John were sent.

0 Because it is a secular country, the only Muslim country in the world that has no state religion, the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, and tolerance is the rule.

In Turkey there are constant threats and intimidation against churches and church leaders. Click here for more information on donating to CWR. “How happy is the one who calls himself a Turk!”—Mustafa Kemal’s quote became the national motto.[6]. The Christian Church in Turkey Turkey holds a place in Christian history right along side of Israel and Palestine. St. Paul preached in Perge, Derbe, Lystra, Psidian Antioch, Ephesus and Konya. Another important fact for Christians is that first Ecumenical Councils were made at Nicea (Iznik today) in the Marmara Region of Turkey, between Bursa and Istanbul. Christianity has a long history in Anatolia (nowadays part of the Republic of Turkey's territory), which is the birth place of numerous Christian Apostles and Saints, such as Apostle Paul of Tarsus, Timothy, St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Polycarp of Smyrna and many others. It is true that as the devshirme rose in the state or became Janissaries, their social and economic status would increase, but nevertheless the cruelty of devshirme system eventually led to its decline and abolishment in the 17th century. Converts and those who try to spread the Gospel are seen as traitors, or even spies. Imagine my surprise when the first Christian I met showed me the map at the back of her English Bible. Those who showed talent and intelligence in the matters of state were then sent to serve in the palace, while the remainder formed the core army called the Janissaries. Many events recorded in Scripture take place here, and it …

[5] Dadrian, Vahakn N (1995).

Thousands of years ago, because of constant efforts of the missionaries, the blood of the martyrs, and the unwavering faith of so many Christians, the infertile lands of Anatolia slowly became receptive.