Imprisoned American Pastor Turns 50 In a Turkish Jail

January 7, 2018 — ICC Note: An American pastor imprisoned in Turkey has just celebrated his 50th birthday in prison. He was 48 years old when he was arrested, an ordeal which has been...

Islamism on the Rise Within Turkey’s Government

January 5, 2018 — ICC Note: Turkey’s government is increasingly becoming more Islamist, according to experts at a recent panel. It has created a regime that is increasingly hostile to western values and more...

Imprisoned Pastor Pens Message of Hope and Gratitude

January 2, 2018 — ICC Note: Andrew Brunson is an American missionary serving in Turkey who was arrested by authorities in October 2016 on charges of espionage and being a member of a terrorist...

Syriac Christians in Turkey Worry As Their Population Continues to Decrease

December 25, 2017 — ICC Note: Life has changed drastically for Christians in Turkey within the last century, and not for the better. The population of Syriac Christians in Turkey’s southeast has been steadily...

Slave Market Opened by ISIS in Turkey’s Capitol

November 26, 2017 — ICC Note: A new report details how ISIS has transferred its slave business from Iraq and Syria into Turkey. During its height, public and private slave markets were normal within...

Turkey Pledges to Return Appropriated Church Properties

November 25, 2017 — ICC Note: Turkey’s government has pledged to return church properties appropriated by the state in Mardin province. This follows comments by Turkey’s deputy prime minister, and would affect over a...

Only 24 Schools Associated With Christian Minorities Left In Turkey

November 24, 2017 — ICC Note: In Turkey, there are only 24 schools left who belong to foundations and bodies associated with Christian minorities. By comparison, in the last years of the Ottoman Empire...

Turkish Authorities Focus on Targeting Protestants, Pastor Brunson Languishes in Prison

October 25, 2017 — ICC Note: After last year’s coup attempt in Turkey, authorities arrested a number of political and religious dissidents. Authorities particularly focused on Turkey’s protestant community, leading to the arrest last...

Imprisoned Pastor Pens a Hymn While Prosecutor Demands Harsh Sentencing

October 13, 2017 — ICC Note: The circumstances of Pastor Andrew Brunson’s imprisonment continue to worsen, as the prosecutor has asked that Pastor Brunson be harshly sentenced. Pastor Brunson has been imprisoned in Turkey...

Imprisoned Pastor Loses 50 Pounds, Held in Overcrowded Cell

October 9, 2017 — ICC Note: Imprisoned American Pastor Andrew Brunson has reportedly lost up to fifty pounds and is being held with twenty-two others in a Turkish prison cell designed for eight. Pastor...

One Year Later, American Pastor Remains Imprisoned in Turkey

October 7, 2017 — ICC Note: Today marks the one-year anniversary of Pastor Andrew Brunson’s unjust imprisonment by Turkish authorities. Pastor Brunson is a leader of a small Protestant church in Izmir and has...

Religious Nationalism in Turkey Shapes a “Suspicious Attitude” Towards Christians

September 28, 2017 — ICC Note: A Turkish author who converted from Islam to Christianity shares how an anti-Christian attitude is a significant part of Turkey’s national identity. She recalls how this identity shapes...

Unable to Elect Church Leader Without Turkey’s Approval, Formal Election of New Patriarch Stalls

September 27, 2017 — ICC Note: Armenian church leaders in Turkey are requesting prayer as they approach the election of new leadership for the Armenian Apostolic Church. Turkish authorities have neglected to give the...

American Pastor Imprisoned in Turkey Given “No Access To Justice”

September 24, 2017 — ICC Note: Nearly a year after his arrest, American Pastor Andrew Brunson continues to languish in prison with no access to justice. In August, Pastor Brunson was charged with attempting...

Turkey Continues Discriminating Against Christians

September 22, 2017 — ICC Note: Though Turkey is constitutionally a secular state, the reality is that the government is systematically discriminating against Christians. In the city of Diyarbakir, churches were included in the...

Church Seized by Turkey Experiences Significant Damage Within Sanctuary

September 16, 2017 — ICC Note: Secretly taken photographs of the largest Armenian cathedral in the Middle East show significant damage within the sanctuary. The church is located in Turkey and was seized by...