Displaying items by tag: Turkey

The risks journalists take when reporting on corruption continue. Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an undercover journalist working on an investigation with the BBC about corruption in Ghana’s football leagues, was shot and killed after a politician called for retribution against him. In Turkey, journalist Pelin Ünker was found guilty of ‘defamation and insult’ and sentenced to thirteen months in jail for her work on the Paradise Papers investigation into offshore tax havens. Turkey has the world’s worst record for jailing journalists - 68 in prison at the end of 2018, all of them facing charges of crimes against the state. Journalists play a vital role in exposing the corrupt and their methods; but they face threats, violence, arrest, and death as a result. Since 2017, over 190 journalists have been incarcerated worldwide for reporting on corruption. See also

A Muslim man recently told a Turkish ministry leader, ‘In a few weeks I’m going to go down to the refugee camps. I have a friend who bought a young Syrian girl to be his second wife; I am going to go and pick one for myself.’ The leader replied, ‘I’m very sad that you would want to buy a little girl as a slave and take advantage of these poor people who are just trying to survive.’ It’s too dangerous for most Syrian refugees to return home, even if they have homes to return to after seven years of war. Mothers in refugee camps are grief-stricken when criminals steal and sell their daughters. The refugees are aware that it is Muslims who are buying their daughters, and that Christians are the ones bringing them compassionate aid of food and blankets. Recently a worker was asked by a Muslim refugee, ‘Please pray for us!’

President Erdogan has snubbed US national security advisor John Bolton, who was visiting the region to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and future US involvement there. Bolton asked for assurances that Turkey would not harm Kurdish fighters in Syria in future. He held discussions with Turkish officials, but President Erdogan refused to meet him and described his comments as ‘a serious mistake’, adding: ‘We cannot make any concessions. Those involved in a Syrian terror corridor will receive the necessary punishment.’ A commentator said, ‘Everyone is jockeying for position in Syria because the war is winding down. There is concern over the US leaving Turkey in charge.’

The high degree of Turkey’s religious nationalism places incredible pressure on Christians. The government doesn’t target Christians directly, but its nationalistic bias leaves little room for Christians to preach the gospel, which is considered an opposing message. Converts from Islam face social opposition, and often lead double lives to keep their faith hidden from family and community. If found out, they might be threatened with divorce and loss of inheritance rights, and all Christians face employment discrimination. Pray for Muslim-background converts to minister graciously and wisely to their families, especially if they are labelled and treated as traitors. Pray for evangelist David Byle who was refused re-entry into Turkey to be with his family. He had lived and preached there for 19 years and had experienced increasing harassment. See

Muslim refugee had dream about God, found Him in Spain

Fearing for their lives, Achmed and his family left Syria’s raging civil war and managed to make their way to Madrid, Spain.  Before they left Syria, Achmed had a powerful dream that God told him He wanted to know Him. He couldn’t get the dream out of his mind, but he didn’t fully understand it, so he continued to ponder it in his heart, according to a report by Christian Aid Mission (CAM).

European Union and Spanish authorities sent the family to the province of Cadiz in southwestern Spain, where a Christian ministry was helping to integrate refugees into society.

The ministry proposed putting refugees in apartments rather than camps, with the government subsidizing part of the cost.

Achmed was stunned that Christians would give so much time and effort to total strangers. One day he approached the ministry director, Pablo, with a question: “Why are you helping us in so many ways?” he asked.

“We believe in God, who loves people and wants us to help other people,” Pablo replied. “Jesus Christ came to die for us, and He asks us to die for you.”

His reply prompted even great curiosity about the Christian God, and he asked Pablo to tell him more. They had several more conversations, and soon Achmed began to attend Sunday worship services and some other activities. He began to read the Bible online.

One day he told Pablo, “All I have read, I believe. The only problem I have is God having a child.”

Like many Muslims, he had trouble with the idea of God having a Son. But in spite of that difficulty, he confessed that he couldn’t save himself from the death and eternal punishment that sin brings.

He confessed to Pablo his need for Jesus Christ, put his faith in Him as his Lord and Savior, and was born again.

Then God reminded Achmed of the powerful dream.

“He said that he remembered having a dream in Syria in which God told him He wanted him to know Him, and now he knew what it meant,” Pablo said. “He became a believer three months ago.”

“Thousands of such Muslim refugees are streaming into Spain as other countries of Europe turn them away, and many are coming to Christ every month,” according to the report by CAM.

“The former Muslims face daunting pressures. Achmed’s wife sought to divorce him after he became a Christian, and only after many talks with native missionaries did she and her mother accept Achmed – and Christ.

“Now they also come to church, and God is working in their lives,” the ministry director said.

Pray: that God would continue to reveal Himself with the dreams and visions among refugees, as promised in Joel 2
Pray: that those refugees who came to faith in Jesus Christ would grow spiritually in a local fellowship(church)
Pray: that the local fellowships and churches would be established and planted among those refugee believers.  Send more workers to Your harvest field!

More:http://silkwavemission.com/board.php?board=english&command=body&no=1012

260,000 Syrians returned to ‘Euphrates Shield’ operation area: Turkish defense minister

A total of 260,000 Syrian nationals have returned to a swathe of land in northern Syria where Turkey carried out a cross-border operation dubbed “Euphrates Shield,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Nov. 1.

Turkey launched Euphrates Shield in 2016 to drive away ISIL and YPG militants from its border with Syria. Ankara regards the United States-backed YPG as a terrorist organization due to its ties with the illegal PKK. The operation ended in 2017.

Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees who fled the conflict in their homeland.

“As a result of the infrastructure work and the security and stability in the region provided by the Turkish Armed Forces, around 260,000 Syrian nationals have returned to the Euphrates Shield Operation area,” Akar told lawmakers at the planning and budget commission in parliament.

The defense minister also touched upon the Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S., saying that “despite the promises” made for the YPG’s withdrawal from the city, the group was still deployed there.

“The terror group is digging ditches in Manbij as they have done in Afrin,” he said.

The YPG “should know it will be buried in the trenches it has dug,” Akar said.

The Manbij deal focuses on the withdrawal of YPG militants from the city to stabilize the region northeast of the Aleppo province in northern Syria.

Pray: that God would open ways for those 260,000 to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ even after they return to their home.

Pray: that the on-going conflicts between Turkey and PKK and other groups of Kurds would find a peaceful resolution, and ultimately end in peace.

Pray: that the Prince of Peace and His Kingdom would come in power in those areas.

More:http://silkwavemission.com/board.php?board=english&command=body&no=1013

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Members of a Saudi Arabian team sent to help Turkish authorities investigate the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi worked instead to remove evidence. A Turkish government spokesman said that two members of the team ‘came for the sole purpose of covering up evidence’ before Turkish police were allowed to search the Saudi consulate, where Khashoggi was killed on 2 October. The fact that a clean-up team was dispatched suggests that his killing ‘was within the knowledge of top Saudi officials’. The information was the latest in a series of leaks from Turkish officials apparently aimed at keeping up the pressure on Saudi Arabia and ensuring that the killing is not covered up. Khashoggi, who lived in exile in the United States, was strangled immediately after he entered the consulate, and his body was dismembered before being removed.

American pastor Andrew Brunson has been released after being detained in Turkey for two years. President Trump has already met Brunson, who had been charged with helping to plot a coup against President Erdogan and sentenced to 37 months in prison. The Turkish authorities chose to release him based on his time already served, as well as his manner during the proceedings. Prosecutors had been demanding a ten-year jail term. The case had soured relations between Turkey and the US, heightened by Trump's desire to support Brunson and emphasise the importance of religious freedom. Erdogan’s office denied that any deal with the US had taken place, and criticised Trump for tweeting that he had been ‘working very hard for Pastor Brunson’ and his release.

Several deals have been struck across Syria over the years of the civil war, but few have made significant differences. Pray that the agreement between Russia and Turkey to create a military buffer zone in Syria's Idlib holds fast and is successful in preventing further deaths as Syria’s last remaining opposition stronghold is included in a demilitarised zone. Turkey's foreign minister declared that only terrorist groups, not civilians, will be removed from Idlib province under the deal. EU spokesperson Maja Kocijancic stressed that the Turkish-Russian deal must protect civilians.

The future of Syria is being debated between Iran, Russia and Turkey. Prominent on the agenda at a leaders’ meeting in Tehran on 7 Sept is Idlib, the remaining rebel-held province in Syria (population 1.5 million). Turkey, fearing a mass exodus of civilians towards its border, is trying to ensure the offensive will be as limited as possible. Most believe there are three scenarios. First, Turkey and Russia could agree to uphold the Idlib de-escalation zone if Turkey deals with the al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and persuades them to relocate elsewhere. This could avert a Russian attack on Idlib as long as a lasting peace is achieved in Syria. The second scenario would allow for a limited Russian-led military action in Idlib against HTS.  Given the high population density, Russia and Syria seem to be trying to avoid massive military attacks. The most feared scenario is Iran’s preference - an all-out offensive against Idlib. See

The Turkish currency is in freefall after President Trump escalated a feud with Ankara by doubling tariffs on metals imports. The lira has long been falling due to worries about President Erdogan's influence over monetary policy and worsening US relations. Turkey and the USA are at odds over many issues, the most pressing being the detention of pastor Andrew Brunson who was jailed for allegedly supporting a group that Ankara blames for the failed coup. He faces 35 years in prison, and on 15 August a court ruled he must remain under house arrest. Qatar has pledged $15 billion of investments after Erdogan said that the shadowy ‘interest rate lobby’ and Western credit ratings agencies were attempting to bring down the economy. He said, ‘If there is anyone who has dollars or gold under their pillows, they should go and exchange it for liras at our banks. This is a national, domestic battle.’ See also