Day 27
Turkey
As Turkey heads towards presidential elections in May, analysts are concerned about the increasingly erratic and dictatorial leadership style of President Erdogan. Pray that the elections will bring in a new leadership. Pray for courage for voters to vote for change. Pray that all election corruption will be exposed and undermined before the elections begin. Pray that the Christian Believers in Turkey will be able to share the reason for the hope they have in Jesus Christ. Pray that they will be able to stand up and testify that the Heavenly Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (The Bible, 1 John 4:14).
Source: Turkey could be on the brink of dictatorship (The Economist)
Once the land of Paul’s missionary journeys, Turkey is now predominantly Muslim. Following a failed coup in 2016, President Erdogan embarked on an ongoing campaign to irradicate anyone deemed to oppose his regime, increasing the atmosphere of state control over the last 6 years. 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, and 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 healthcare system and the economy. Interest in the Gospel has also increased significantly in recent years.
