|
Last week, The Voice of the Martyrs reported on the violent deaths of three Christians in a publishing house in Turkey (click here to read the story). This was the first known case of Christian martyrdom since Turkey became a republic. In the past week, more details have come to light. The alleged killers had recently pretended to become Christians in order to gain the trust of the believers before ambushing them. It appears that the men had been bound and tortured for more than two hours. One of the victims had more than 150 stab wounds. It appears their throats were slashed when the police arrived. Twelve suspects are facing charges for the brutal attack.
Necati Aydin (35) left a wife and two small children. Ugur Yuksel (32) was single and had come to faith in Christ two years ago. Tilmann Geske, a German national, left a wife and three children. Continue to pray for these families as they grieve.
In October 2006, Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal were charged with "insulting Turkishness" for allegedly speaking against Islam (click here for more details). According to Middle East Concern, a third hearing was held on April 18 with only one of their three accusers present. The testimony given contained contradictions and appeared rehearsed. The judge has threatened to charge the police with contempt of court if the other accusers do not show up for the next hearing in July. Pray that the charges against Hakan and Turan will be dropped.
For more information on persecution in Turkey, click here.
|
