Zaman Online, Turkey
July 1 2005
Evangelists Activities in Turkey Warned
By Omer Sahin
Published: Thursday June 30, 2005
zaman.com
Activities of Evangelists have caused discomfort in Turkey.
Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Intelligence Service (MIT) have
warned governors for not to hold any “official contacts” with German
Protestant Church that visited Southeastern Anatolia to “handle the
problems of refugees”. The Foreign Ministry also warned the Turkish
Parliament before a visit by the Church delegation to the Parliamentary
Justice Commission. A secret paper sent to the Parliament stated that
Evangelists support the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers’
Party (PKK) and carry out activities to prevent Turkey to be included
into the European Union (EU) in case the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations are not accepted.
The German Evangelische Landeskirche Church had wanted to organize
a European Churches Conference in Istanbul between June 12 and 16,
2005, before its Turkey visit, but later gave up on this demand. An
11-member delegation of the Church came to Turkey on June 8-17.
Holding a series of talks, the delegation expressed that it wanted
to visit Van, Midyat town of Mardin and Diyarbakir before Ankara. The
Church also demanded to talk to Van’s gendarme commander and receive
information about Iranian and Iraqi refugees during their visit
to Van. This demand of Church and method of its visit have caused
discomfort. The Foreign Ministry gave directives to Berlin Embassy
to warn the Church for not acting in line with procedures for its
visit to Southeastern Anatolia. Governors of Eastern and Southeastern
Anatolia were also warned not to hold any official talks with the
Church delegation. The Berlin Embassy proposed the Church delegation
to call officials to Ankara and hold official contacts in Ankara.
Despite this warning, Evangelists visiting Turkey went to Van, Midyat,
and Diyarbakir and tried to obtain appointments through unofficial
ways, though they failed to have any contacts with province and
district governors.
The Evangelists came to Ankara later on and made contacts in Turkish
Parliament. The Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a “secret” note to the
Parliament before the church delegation’s visit. Informing the Human
Rights Commission, the Ministry dealt with this determination of the
Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT): Evangelische Akademie
Bad Boll activating under the church’s control held meetings in 1997
and 1998 related to the lift of ban on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK) in Germany and directly involved in anti-Turkish activities
like blocking access to EU in case of Turkey’s non-recognition of
the so-called Armenian genocide and support for Kongra-Gel.