Turkey

The largest unevangelised nation.

Located in the continents of Asia and Europe, the ancient land of Turkey is a bridge between East and West. Rich in biblical sites, it was conquered by Turkish armies coming out of Central Asia to become the centre of the Muslim world. Modern Turkey aspires to be part of Europe and has a functioning democracy and constitutional freedom of religion. The current population is 71 million, 20% of whom are Kurds. After decades of instability and mismanagement there has been a recent upsurge in the economy, allowing for the emergence of an urban middle class.

Christianity

To be Turkish is to be Muslim and this deep national pride has severely hindered church growth. Workers have served in Turkey since the early 1960s but there are still only around 3,000 Muslim background believers scattered over 95 small churches. Believers are generally able to worship openly although they may suffer discrimination and slander from their families and communities. Rising nationalism has led to recent attacks on believers.

Our Stories

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About 230,000 buildings have been damaged since the earthquakes in southeast Turkey in February 2023. Thousands have been displaced and have been in temporary and semi-temporary shelters since. Reconstruction will take years. Photo by Ellyn Schellenberg.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey shifted Jabari's ministry to Syrian refugees from primarily on social media to in person. He and his wife now see an openness in many to hear the good news.
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OM'ers and OM partners bringing help after the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey. They provide food on a daily bases for the families affected by the earthquake.
In the midst of the destruction caused by earthquakes in Turkey, small communities of Jesus followers continue to demonstrate what it means to love one another.

Journeys Leading Here