Paul Keenan
Concerns have been expressed by the Christian community in Turkey after it was reported that a number of Christian churches were attacked during the failed military uprising of July 15.
As people took to the streets in defiance of the army factions attempting to seize the country, it is reported that pockets of civilians damaged church windows at a number of locations across the nation.
The attacks have led to calls from the Anglican chaplaincy of the British consulate in Istanbul for the government to better secure the safety of Christian communities in Turkey.
Meanwhile, responding to the coup, Bishop Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, apostolic administrator of the nation’s Greek Catholics insisted the community was made safer by remaining apart from current political tribulations.
Demonstrations
“All the current difficulties are linked to political events, and we don’t touch such issues or take any part in demonstrations,” he said, adding, “we hope the situation will improve without bringing us further troubles, but there are problems here which can’t be tackled in a short time.”
Warrants issued for kidnappers of Syrian nuns
Prosecutors in Lebanon have issued arrest warrants for three Syrians alleged to have been involved in the 2013 kidnapping of 13 Orthodox nuns from their Santa Tecla convent in the ancient Christian town of Maalula. The nuns were held captive for three months after anti-Assad forces overran the town, and were released after the involvement of Lebanese intelligence members in negotiations for their safe return in exchange for the release of 153 women detained in Syrian prisons.