Day 27
Turkey
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Thank Jesus that He has come into our world to seek and save the lost. He is Emmanuel, present and moving in power across Turkey. We rejoice to hear that there are so many Turkish people open to the Gospel today. We shout for joy that miracles abound, and people are coming to faith in greater numbers than ever before. May the Lord build His Church in Turkey, in His mighty name (The Bible, Zechariah 9:9).
Source: Christian workers in Turkey
Once the land of Paul’s missionary journeys, Turkey is now predominantly Muslim. In response to a failed coup in 2016, Turkey has continued to clamp down on anyone President Erdogan deems an enemy. Anyone seen to be anti-Erdogan can be arrested or removed from their positions, increasing the atmosphere of state control. Dozens of long-term Christian missionaries have been deported or refused entrance. Predominantly Syrian refugees have overwhelmed Turkey, numbering about four million – the most in the world. Due to the deteriorating situation, the UN pulled out, the Turkish government stopped registering refugees and closed camps forcing refugees to find work in the cities or risk being deported. As a result, anti-refugee attitudes have increased in the wider community. The COVID-19 impact has been significant across the nation, both on the health care system and the economy. Interest in the Gospel has also increased significantly in recent years.
