EU membership, while a Christian advocacy group raised "fresh concerns" over Turkey’s religious freedom record.
In a highly critical report the EU commission considering Turkey’s admission, warned membership talks may be canceled unless Ankara improves its human rights record. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a reaction that "there are very good aspects to this report, as well as negative ones."
The report came as UK-based Christian Solidarity World (CSW) told BosNewsLife it was concerned about the trial of two men charged with "insulting Turkishness" under article 301 of the Turkish penal code which has been scheduled November 23.
BIBLE COURSE
Hakan Tastan, 37, and Turan Topal, 46, worked for a local Bible correspondence Course when in October, security forces stormed Tastan’s residence with a search warrant, CSW said.
"They then confiscated computers and documents from the two men’s office in Istanbul. The men were transported to Silivri, where they were interrogated by military officials and taken to the prosecutor."
The two Christians were reportedly accused of "inciting hatred against Islam, negating the Turkish Army, promoting sexual promiscuity, bribing Muslims to convert to Christianity and gathering personal information," about people they are in touch with. They have denied the charges.
In a separate incident, Odemis Protestant Church in Izmir was attacked with six Molotov Cocktails by a group of fifteen people last Saturday, November 4, Christian investigators said.
BUILDING DAMAGED
"The church building was damaged in the attack, but no one was injured," said CSW, which has close contacts with allegedly persecuted believers. Local police is reportedly reluctant to investigate the charges and no arrests have been made.
CSW quoted the pastor of the church, Mehmet Sahin Coban, as saying that his congregation has been a target of similar attacks and threats in the past. In the two weeks prior to the attack, "groups of people had thrown stones through the windows of the church." Police reportedly refused to intervene and even requested the church to close down to comply "with city zoning laws." Officials have not commented on the cases.
"Both incidents raise difficult questions over the extent of improvements on religious freedom in Turkey, said CSW National Director, Stuart Windsor. "As Turkey works to demonstrate its suitability to join the EU, it must prove its commitment to protecting the rights of religious minorities," Windsor added. (With BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos and BosNewsLife Research).
