Turkey: the church in Fethiye
Terrorists, ISIS, Suicide Bombers, Military Coup, dark Islamic influence. The media paint an unattractive picture of Turkey at present. Is it safe to visit? What about those who are visiting or working there? What about the church?
Living and ministering in Fethiye on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, we really wouldn’t be aware of anything untoward happening if it were not for TV or Social Media – and, of course, that the usual stream of European tourists has become a trickle, causing tourist resorts to struggle financially and individuals to ask: ‘Why don’t they come? It’s safe. There are no bombs or terrorists here.’
Turkey: a small town church
Fethiye is a small town of 70,000 people in a
land which has more mosques than any
other nation and is 99.9% Muslim.
Children are taught that ‘to be a Turk is to
be a Muslim’ and nationality and religion
seem inseparable. There are approximately
5,000 Protestant Christians in Turkey and
the church is growing, albeit slowly.