Christianity in Turkey: A New Beginning

When most Christians think of the Holy Land, they picture Israel. Israel is the land of the Bible. The place where Jesus was born. Where he lived, died, and rose again.

© Words of Hope 28/02/2014

… But fewer people realize that modern-day Turkey is home to rich Christian history as well. In fact, so many ancient Christian sites are located in Turkey that it has been referred to as “The Other Holy Land.”

Christianity in Turkey has a profound and ancient history, dating back to the 1st century AD when Asia Minor (modern Turkey) was a pivotal region for the early spread of Christianity. It was home to key apostolic missions by figures such as Saint Paul, Saint Peter, and Saint John, and contains many historically significant Christian sites, including the Seven Churches of Revelation and the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus.

It was one of the centers of early Christianity, with two of the five ancient Pentarchy seats located there: Constantinople (Istanbul) and Antioch (Antakya). Antioch is especially notable as the place where followers of Jesus were first called “Christians”. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was the largest church in the world for centuries and a symbol of Byzantine Christianity. The first seven Ecumenical Councils, which shaped Christian doctrine, were held in present-day Turkey, including the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which formulated the Nicene Creed, a foundational statement of Christian faith.

Nowadays Christianity forms a minority religion in Turkey, with estimates of around 120,000 Christians in a population of about 73 million. The largest Christian populations are Armenians, Greeks, Syriac Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants. Istanbul hosts the largest Christian community in Turkey, including Armenians, Greeks, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. The Syriac Orthodox Church has a strong presence in Mardin and Tur Abdin, with historic monasteries like Mor Gabriel and Saffron Monastery. The Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate was established in the early 20th century as a Turkish-speaking Orthodox church, distinct from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, reflecting national and ethnic dynamics within Christianity in Turkey.

The Christian population has dramatically declined from nearly 25% in 1914 to less than 0.5% today, due to historical events including the Ottoman-era policies, the Armenian Genocide, population exchanges, and emigration. Christians under the Ottoman Empire had a protected but subordinate status, with some autonomy in religious and civil matters but also subjected to special taxes. European intervention in the 19th and 20th centuries improved minority rights somewhat. Since the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, religious freedom has been constitutionally guaranteed, allowing Christians to establish places of worship and practice their faith openly.

A significant recent milestone is the opening of the first new Christian church in Turkey in nearly 100 years: the Syriac Orthodox St. Ephrem Church in Istanbul, inaugurated in 2023. This reflects a new beginning for Christianity in Turkey, with government support overcoming bureaucratic and legal challenges.

Christianity in Turkey today remains a small but historically rich and culturally significant minority. Despite centuries of decline and challenges, recent developments such as the construction of new churches and constitutional protections suggest a cautious renewal and continued presence of Christianity in the country. The future of Christianity in Turkey is intertwined with broader societal debates about secularism, religious freedom, and minority rights. Christianity represents both an ancient heritage and a contemporary community seeking to maintain its identity and traditions within a predominantly Muslim and secular state. The recent opening of new churches marks a hopeful new chapter for Christians in Turkey after a century of significant challenges. This juxtaposition between ancient faith and modern life in Turkey is troubling, but Words of Hope believes that God can begin something new among the people here. We seek to proclaim the love of Christ through radio broadcasts, and we pray that through this medium God will rebuild his church in the land where it was born.