Being a Christian in Turkey: How difficult is it?

Several hundred thousands of Christians reside in Turkey, and about 25,000 of those are Roman Catholics, many of them are migrants from the Philippines, and Africa, per a 2022 report by the United States State Department.

Turkey’s status as a place difficult to be a Christian in, has long roots, despite it being being one of the original places where Christianity flourished.

On Sunday, January 27, 2024, terrorists stormed a Catholic church during Mass in Istanbul, Turkey, killing one person by shooting him in the head. According to reports, the so-called Islamic State has since claimed responsibility for the attack, which, according to the local bishop, took place during the consecration.

The attack, roughly coinciding with the first anniversary of a massive earthquake that killed thousands in Turkey and Syria in 2023, raises questions as to whether it is unsafe to be a Christian in Turkey today, and how hospitable the 99%-Muslim country is to other faiths.

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Despite provisions for religious freedom existing on paper in the country, Turkish Christians of various denominations today still suffer under the weight of government bureaucracy as well as societal pressures. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) says that the Turkish society has in recent years seen a “marked increase in incidents of vandalism and societal violence against religious minorities.”

“The government also continues to unduly interfere in the internal affairs of religious communities. Religious minorities in Turkey have expressed concerns that governmental rhetoric and policies contribute to an increasingly hostile environment and implicitly encourage acts of societal aggression and violence,” per the USCIRF.