MURDER IN ANATOLIA - European Stability Initiative - ESI

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missionary who had arrived in Malatya earlier in 2002 to run the Kayra Christian publishing
house in Malatya told them:
“Congratulations! You made it onto the cover page of a local newspaper ... In this way
one learns that Christians are dangerous and are coming to Malatya.” 68
In Malatya Tilmann taught English, translated, and preached to a Protestant community of
about 15-20 adults. 69
Necati Aydin was a Christian convert from Izmir. He moved to Malatya with his wife and
their two children in November 2003, becoming general director of the Zirve publishing
house (which also has offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Van). Necati converted after
falling in love with Semse, an Orthodox Christian from Antakya (the ancient Antiochia) who
herself had converted to Protestantism. German missionary Wolfgang Hade, who was
married to Semse‟s sister, later recalled Semse‟s reaction when Necati initially expressed
doubts about converting: “She said: „It is over! I talked to Necati on the phone and he told me
that he wanted to remain a Muslim. If God does not bring him back, then the story is over.‟” 70
The couple married in 1997. A year later Necati began to lead a community of converts in
Izmir. The group, whose meetings took place in the two lower floors of an apartment
building, had problems with the authorities. On one Sunday morning in September 1999,
most of the Christians were arrested by the police. They were released the same evening. On
1 March 2000 Necati and another colleague were arrested by the gendarmerie after
distributing bibles and Christian literature in a small town near Izmir. When the case went to
trial, the witnesses called by the prosecution all withdrew their previous testimonies,
admitting that “people from the gendarmerie had urged them to make false statements”
against Necati and his colleague. The pair was released after spending 30 days in prison. 71
Things did not change after Necati arrived in Malatya. Here too, he was repeatedly stopped
by the gendarmerie while distributing Christian literature in the countryside. The local media
launched a hate campaign against Christians. In February 2005, the local newspaper Bakis
alleged that there were 48 “home churches” in “every part of the city.” 72 On 19 February
2005 the head of the Kayra publishing house issued a public statement: “There is open
agitation against Christians and foreigners in Malatya. Despite the fact that there is no
evidence that Christians living in Turkey are promoting [Kurdish] separatism, there is no end
to these accusations.” 73
On 5 December 2005 a group of young ultra-nationalists demonstrated in front of the offices
of a transport company that had delivered a shipment of bibles to Kayra. One daily reported
that Burhan Coskun, the head of the Malatya chapter of Ulku Ocaklari – a nationalist youth
organization commonly refered to as Grey Wolves – participated in the demonstration. “Do
68
His name was Martin de Lange. Jonathan Carswell and Joanna Wright, Susanne Geske: Ich will keine Rache,
das Drama von Malatya [Susanne Geske: I don’t want revenge], Brunnen Verlag, 2008, p. 74.
69
Wolfgang Hade, “Mein Schwager – ein Martyrer; eine Geschichte des turkischen Christen Necati Aydin [My
brother in law – a martyr; a story of the Turkish Christian Necati Aydin], Neufeld Verlag, 2009, p. 92.
70
Ibid, p 35. Hade lives in Izmit near Istanbul.
71
Ibid, p. 54.
72
Ibid, p. 81. See also: bianet, “Subat 2005te Hedef Gosterildiler” [in February 2005 they were shown as a
target], 19 April 2007, http://www.bianet.org/bianet/insan-haklari/94780-subat-2005te-hedef-gosterildiler.
73
Milliyet, “Provokator dun Malatya‟daydi” [The provocator was yesterday in Malatya], 19 April 2007,
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/04/19/guncel/agun.html.
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