Source: www.persecution.org
Date: February 3, 2023
Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Turkish government authorities and its MIT (The state intelligence agency of Turkey) continue their issuing and application of N-82 codes to foreign Protestant Christian workers in Turkey, which is a de-facto ban on entering the country. International Christian Concern representatives received notice in January 2023 and is responding to assist the legal challenge to a new case of the MIT detaining and ordering the deportation of a foreign Christian worker who received an N-82 while inside Turkey several years ago.
From 2019- 2021, a total of 68 foreign Protestants received the N-82, as detailed last year by International Christian Concern in this post. Foreign Protestant church leaders play an important in the approximate 186 Protestant fellowships in the country, especially in the absence of pastoral and theological vocational training being formally available for national Christians. The Turkish National Education System continues denying within its framework any Christians' clergy training, making the presence of foreign protestant workers necessary for apprenticing national leaders to help lead fellowships in Turkey.
International Christian Concern helped win cases to overturn N-82 code orders in 2021 and 2022 for several foreign protestants to rightfully remain in the country by taking the cases to higher Constitutional Courts. In this latest ongoing case, it is hoped that a new precedent will be won in the provincial courts to prevent future N-82 court orders from being applied.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for grace as ICC serves on this legal challenge. Pray for equal rights for Christian workers in Turkey. Pray for them to effectively share the gospel throughout Turkey.