Turkish authorities are searching for a suspected arsonist following a fire that destroyed thousands of New Testaments and other Christian books on 7 December.
The fire started at the offices of the Bible Correspondence Course in Turkey (BCC Turkey), located in a multistorey building that also houses a church in the Kadikoy neighbourhood of Istanbul. No one was injured in the fire and no structural damage was reported, but total losses are estimated at approximately US$12,500.
Paul Weaver, media and IT director at the ministry, said an image of the attacker appears in a security camera video. Fire officials ignored evidence that the fire was of a suspicious nature.
