Turkey

Pray For Turkey

(officially the Republic of Türkiye)

This region was known for numerous Biblical sites such as Mount Ararat, Haran, Tarsus, Antioch, Galatia, Colossae, Cappadocia, seven churches in Revelation, etc. This land was also the center of Christianity during the endured two military coups in 1960 and 1980 and a period of economic and political turmoil in the 1970s. The economy was liberalized in the 1980s, leading to stronger economic growth and political stability.Byzantine Empire, whose capital city was Constantinople (currently Istanbul). As conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it became a center for the spread of Islam. The Christian population declined from 22% in 1900 to 0.21% in 2010. Currently, the protestant believers are estimated to be less than 10,000, which is 0.01% of the total population.

Key Stats

Continent: Eurasia

Capital: Ankara

Population: 85,000,000

Urban Population: 77%

Pop. Under 15 Yrs: 24%

Primary Language: Turkish 

Languages: 45

Literacy Rate: 96%

HDI Ranking: 54/189

Christian: 0.2%

Evangelical: 0.01%

Largest Religion: Islam (99%)

People Groups: 67

Unevangelized: 52%

From the late 18th century onwards, the Ottoman Empire’s power declined with a gradual loss of territories. The Ottoman Empire entered World War I with Germany and was partitioned after its defeat in the war. The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 as a result of the Turkish War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, whose reforms made Turkey secular, unitary, and parliamentary.

Turkey played a prominent role in the Korean War and joined NATO in 1952. During the Cold War years, the country

Since 2002, the country’s political system has been dominated by the AKP and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, under whom a decade of rapid growth in nominal GDP took place until 2013, which was followed by a period of recession and stagnation in terms of USD-based nominal GDP between 2013 and 2020, and high inflation as of 2023. The AKP government’s initial economic achievements, which were financed through privatization revenues and loans, were overshadowed by democratic backsliding and an erosion in the separation of powers and civil liberties, which gained momentum after the parliamentary republic was replaced by an executive presidential system with a referendum in 2017.

Turkey has a rich cultural legacy shaped by centuries of history and the influence of the various peoples that have inhabited its territory over several millennia; it is home to 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the fourth most visited country in the world.

Turkey guarantees the freedom of religion by its constitution. However, Christians are oppressed and persecuted culturally. Nevertheless, the Turkish church is small but vibrant and growing. Local leadership has become strong. During the devastating earthquake in February 2023, resulting in the official death of over 50,000, the Turkish church responded quickly to help earthquake victims and continued its outreach. Many Turks live under economic uncertainty and the fear of possible upcoming earthquakes (especially in Istanbul). Many young people are rejecting Islam, turning to deism, agnosticism, or atheism. However, many are coming to Jesus as they seek the truth, especially after the pandemic in 2020-2022.

Pray for the Turkey:

  • Pray that the Turkish church may have the vision of reaching out to its own people and beyond.
  • Pray that the Turkish church may become strong under oppression.
  • Pray that church leaders may be protected physically and spiritually.
  • Pray that young believers may not be just church-goers but become the disciples of Jesus.
  • Pray for the marriages of single believers.