Answers to Prayer

1 The emergence of a small, but significant Turkish Evangelical Church

2 The legal recognition of the existence of a Turkish Protestant Church and the official establishment of several Protestant congregations

3 The increasing openness on the part of the authorities to recognize Turkey as a multi-cultural, multi-religious country

Challenges for Prayer

1 Turkey remains the largest unreached nation in the world

2 Turkey is a nation torn in opposite directions

3 The many critical issues facing the nation need political leadership of high calibre for their resolution

Geography

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Area 779,452 sq.km. Straddles two continents; 3% in Europe (Thrace), 97% in Asia (Anatolia).

Population (2000) 66,590,940 +1.68%AGR

Capital Ankara 3,250,000.

Peoples

Turks 76- 80%.

Kurds 14- 20%.

Arabs 1.8%.

Muslim minorities 1.8%.

Refugees 1.3%.

Non-Muslim minorities 0.2%.

Literacy 82%. Official language Turkish. All languages 36. Languages with Scriptures 7Bi 5NT 5por 13w.i.p.

Economy

Tourism, agriculture and industry are all important to the economy; rapid development in 1980s. HDI 0.728; 86^th/174. Public debt 24% of GNP. Income/person $3,130 (10% of USA).

Politics

The Turkish Ottoman Empire once stretched across North Africa, Arabia, Western Asia and Southeast Europe.

Religion

Turkey's Ottoman Empire was for centuries the guardian of all the holy places of Islam and its chief protagonist.

Churches in Turkey

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