AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of Turkey - Asia

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)

Home > Nov 26: Turkey

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Nov 26: Turkey

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Turkey

Republic of Turkey

Asia

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 779,452 sq km
Straddles two continents; 3% in Europe (Thrace), 97% in Asia (Anatolia). Also controls the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles, vital sea links between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Its strategic position has made the area of prime importance throughout history.
Population: 75,705,147    Annual Growth: 1.24%
Capital: Ankara
Urbanites: 69.6%
HDI Rank: 79 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 60 (63% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Turkish    Languages: 45 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Muslim

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	163,140	0.21	-1.4
Evangelicals	7,267	0.0	1.2
Muslim	73,159,940	96.64

Answer to Prayer

Give praise for the slow but steady growth of Turkish evangelical Christianity. Turkish and Kurdish believers probably numbered around 10 in 1960. This number rose to around 4,000 by 2010. While growth is not as rapid as many hoped for or expected, a sense of consolidation and maturation distinguishes the Church today.
     For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

Challenge for Prayer

Turkey’s transformation from guardian of Christendom to unevangelized nation has been almost comprehensive. For over 1,000 years the region was a bastion of Christendom, but it later became a strong propagator of Islam. The Christian population has declined from 22% to 0.21% since 1900. Only 0.008% of people in Turkey are evangelical; many are ethnic Turks and Kurds, but others are expatriate or from historically Christian minorities. Few of the 73 million Muslims have ever truly heard the gospel. Turkey’s location along the ancient Silk Road routes connected it deeply to Islam for centuries; pray that it might also be used as a bridge between Europe and Asia for the transmission of a revitalized Christianity.
     For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Turkey.