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Three people were tied up and had their throats slit in a Bible publishing house in Turkey today.
One of the murdered men was a German national, one was Turkish and the identity of the third has not been confirmed. All three were in the office of a publisher that distributes Bibles and prints other Christian literature when they were set upon.
The Zirve publishing office in Malatya city, in central Turkey, had been the target of anti-religious protests and death threats.
Nationalist protestors accused staff of proselytizing in the 99 per cent Muslim, but officially secular, country, according to the Dogan Turkish news agency.
Suna Erdem of The Times suggested the attacks were most likely to have been carried out by nationalists in the tension ahead of next month’s presidential elections.
“Hostility against Turkish Christians tends to come from nationalists as much as Islamists, but the way they were killed is unusual,” she said. “Nationalists tend to be worried that Christians are part of some conspiracy against Turkey.”
German Ambassador Eckart Cuntz was appalled by the attack. “I am shocked that a German citizen is among the victims,” he said. “Even if the exact circumstances of the crime are not yet known, I most strongly condemn this brutal crime.”
Turkish television broadcast footage of the police wrestling one suspect to the ground and leading away three more after the attack.
Hamza Ozant, Zirve’s manager, confirmed that staff had received death threats, but said he was unaware of the source.
A fourth man is in hospital receiving treatment for head injuries after jumping from the window of the building. Police are investigating whether the man was escaping the attackers or if he was one of the assailants attempting to evade the police.
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How could they do this?! It's too horrible, how could they...just because of islam. People have the right to choose between religions, even if it means leaving islam and choosing Christianity. This is so sad, too sad. The real face if islam is being revieled. May God protect all Christians in Turkey and bless them greatly.
Maija, Turku, Finland
When the wife of one of these Christian guys heard about what had happened she said: "Lord, forgive them, for they didn't know what they were doing..."
Jesus loves Turkish men and women just as much as He does love Ukrainians, German and anyone else. He came to seek and save those who are lost! Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. God is at work in Turkey. We keep praying for the families who have lost their beloved ones and for many more Turkish men and women to come to know Jesus as their personal Savior and God!
olga, Zaporozhye, Ukraine
When the wife of one of these Christian guys heard about what had happened she said: "Lord, forgive them, for they didn't know what they were doing..."
Jesus loves Turkish men and women just as much as He does love Ukrainians, German and anyone else. He came to seek and save those who are lost! Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. God is at work in Turkey. We keep praying for the families who have lost their beloved ones and for many more Turkish men and women to come to know Jesus as their personal Savior and God!
olga, Zaporozhye, Ukraine
Imperialism: in Turkey a number of islamists and nationaists do not want even to allow their fellow citizens to read the Bible.
This crine was cowardly and evil, and must not go unchecked.
Costas Ioannou, Limassol, Cyprus
As a loyal follower of our redeemed founder Ataturk, i must warn you about a situation; Turkey's political structure nowadays is divided into three main division. Unfortunately ruling -light- islamics , repuclicans and nationalists.Other unstable and minor part is mostly Kemalist democrats and socialists.Nationalists homogenized itself and started to defeat some fascist elements in it and now they are most deserving the "Ataturks nationalists" ascription. Nationalists does not think in the religion axis. They establish friendly connections with the crowd which are Turk but not muslim. Their party MHP is not like as in the past.Fundamentalist Turkish-islamic minded people seperated and founded the BBP which is a minor fraction now.Ataturk minded normal nationalists (MHP) is threatining the ruling islamic minded AKP's hegomonia in Turkey,and AKP' s press wants to pull MHP down before the elections. So the murder is not a nationalist's act indeed.Maybe an AKP fan. Which wants seriat!
Alpaslan, Istanbul, Turkiye
I too, like the German minister, am shocked. I'd never heard of radical Muslims ruthlessly murdering innocent people, nevermind killing Christians. Islam is the true religion of peace. We are told this over and over and over again and I now believe it. All those beheadings, market bombings, child murders, African genocides, chlorine bombs - that's all American college students creating more xenophobic, anti-Muslim propaganda through their Hollywood machine youve seen Fahrenheit 9/11! We know there is never wanton violence committed by Muslims. Let's focus on a single crazy Asian-American college student instead. After all, all those Buddhists and twelve year old Christian schoolgirls in Southern Thailand having their heads lopped off by "Muslims" probably said something inappropriate to someone, but their still safer in Southeast Asia than in Virginia, USA.
Jospeh Iruku, Boston , Massachusetts
Islam, what a peaceful and tolerant religion.
Kevin, New York,
Another example of muslim tolerance. And Ken is supporting the building a mega mosque in the heart of London!
david, manchester, UK
How much longer does Turkey have to kill and massacre Christians?
1.5 million Armenians and many hundred thousand Greeks and Assyrians were massacred in 1915. Since then Turkey was not condemned for it's crimes against humanity. When will the international community try to stop this lawlessness?
James, Hollywood, USA
Islam strikes again, heaven forbid someone should try to promote an alternative religion to Islam, or promote a non-muslim opinion. Keep these primitives out of Europe or our local Waterstones employees will also be tied up with throats slit for trying to undermine Islam with 'non-Islamic' ideas. Religions, and Islam in particularly, depend upon ignorance and intimidation to flourish. Families who program their children to follow their own religion also use both. Funny how noone drills their kids with the importance of faith in and worship of Zeus anymore.. wasn't he the King of the Gods? If only parents would stop teaching their one religion as absolute fact rather than one of many theories based upon nothing more than blind faith , then like Zeus and the volcano god, all of those powerful gods, including yahweh, allah, the spirit of jesus, elvis, and so on, would cease to exist. The only reason they 'exist' is because parents deceive kids saying its 'evil' to not believe.
Zippy, Leeds, UK