TURKISH CHRISTIANS MARK 1ST ANNIVERSARY OF MALATIA MURDERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.04.2008 12:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ This week Turkish Christians mark the 1st anniversary
of the murder of three Protestants in Malatia.

Religious freedom in Turkey is still suppressed, said Duzid Seyhan,
an evangelic. "Some people hire guards, some shut doors during the
divine service," he said. "A dialogue with all religious comminutes
should start with the equal attitude to all religions. The authorities
should encourage pluralism and equality of all citizens and also
punish the assaulters."

The Alliance of Protestant Churches of Turkey named the year of 2008 a
"black year" for the Protestant community. A report meant to attract
attention to the community’s problems found no reaction in the media.

Alliance’s chairman Zekai Tanyar said that concerns and expectations
of Protestants are the same as in 2006, before the murders.

Three Protestants (two Turks and a German) were murdered in southeast
of Malatia on April 18, 2007.

The trial is still underway.