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ANKARA: Evangelists Activities in Turkey Warned

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  • ANKARA: Evangelists Activities in Turkey Warned

    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.
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