About Turkey

J and L have been missionaries to Turkey since 2002. They fearlessly present the Gospel to Turks. More information to come.....

Name of the Country: Republic of Turkey
Type of Government: Republican Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Ankara

Geography: Turkey is strategically located as it links the Black Sea to the Mediterrean through the Bosphorus and Dardnelles strait. Slightly larger than the state of Texas, Turkey is is the gateway between the East and West, a land between two continents; 3% in Europe and 97% in Asia. Turkey was the “Cradle of Christianity,” well-traveled by Paul and the location of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation.

Population: 69,660,559
• Turks 60%: Central Asian people.
• Kurds 33%: Indo-Iranian people in southeast Anatolia, probably related to the ancient Medes.
• Arabs 1.8%: Found along the Syrian border.
• Refugees 1.3%: Iranians 560,000, Bulgarian Turks 200,000, Central Asians 90,000.
• Non-Muslim minorities 0.2%: Armenian 45,000; Jews 8,000; Greek 4,000

Spoken Languages:
• Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek, Laz.
• Total spoken languages 36.

You may be surprised to find that very few Turks speak English, and you will realize soon the importance of learning their language well.

Religions:
• Muslim 99.64%
• Christian 0.32%
• Jewish 0.04%
• Breakdown of Muslim sects: Sunni Muslims 72-80% Alevi Muslims 17-25% Shi’a Muslims mainly among the Iranians.
• Yezidi religion (which is not Islam) among Kurdish towns located near the Syrian border.

There are also Muslim missionaries from the Wahabi sect of Islam who teach the fundamentals of the Islamic religion. They come from Saudi Arabia to propagate pure Islam in its true radical and fanatical form. The Jehovah Witness cult and Mormon cult are now active in the country of Turkey.

For centuries the Ottoman Empire was the guardian and propagator of Islam. In the 1920’s, Atatürk, through his charisma and leadership, led reforms that founded the modern day country of Turkey on secularism rather than Islam. Turkey thus has a secular government, although according to constitution the official religion is Islam. The constitutional guarantee of religious freedom has not been fully upheld. There is a difference between what the law books say and what is actually practiced. Local and provincial governments can have complete disregard for the laws, or may not even know their laws. They may persecute the minority Christians, their businesses and churches, and foreigners who work to evangelize.

Most Turks who claim Islam as their religion do so out of tradition, and not out of true devotion to the practices of the religion. The majority have never read the Qur’an, the Hadiths, or the history of their religion, but will defend their Muslim identity. The government in Turkey, because of its fear of radical Muslims coming into power, has set up laws against organizing into groups without government sanction. Because Turkey was founded upon secular principles, the government tries to stamp out any form of fanaticism which could be taught by secret meetings in homes. This has led to new problems for Christian missionaries and their work.

Literacy percentages (over age fifteen):
• Total population: 86.5%
• Male: 94.3%
• Female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Economy: Approximately 35% of employment is in agriculture. Products of agriculture include: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus and livestock. The largest industrial sector is in textiles and clothing, employing one-third of all industrial workers. General services make up approximately 42% of the labor force. Income per person is about $3,130 per year. In larger cities income is increased because the cost of living is much higher.

Society: The structure of the family in Turkey is patriarchal system. The father is the head of the household and controls decisions made by the family.

In Turkey, there are difference in cultural understanding and acceptance of the Eastern and Western points of view. In Istanbul there is a more European style, but the eastern sections of Turkey are very different!