Greetings in the name of Jesus, our great High Priest

Our most recent prayer request concerning Hakan and Turan, two Turkish Christians facing a court case, was issued on 19^th March. Recall that they were charged in October 2006 with “insulting Turkishness”, defamation of Islam and secretly compiling data on private citizens for a local Bible correspondence course and that the judge had been changed.

The ninth hearing was held on Tuesday (i.e. 24^th June). The judge ordered a judicial review of the first charge due to the relevant law, i.e. article 301 of the Penal Code, having been amended by the Turkish parliament. The wording of this law was changed from the vague “insulting Turkishness” to “insulting the Turkish nation” and permission is now required from the Ministry of Justice in order to charge someone under this article.

At the previous hearing held on 19^th March the judge issued instructions that six gendarmes (i.e. soldiers) attend this hearing to testify concerning the searching of Hakan and Turan’s homes and office. (In parts of Turkey gendarmes act as policemen. In October 2006 it was gendarmes that handled the initial arrest and searches.) However, none of these military personnel attended.

Two teenage prosecution witnesses did testify. Both stated that they did not know the defendants and had not seen them prior to giving testimony in court. Therefore, at no time had either defendant given them Christian literature or invited them to church.

Recall that in July 2007 a state prosecutor was quoted as saying that there was, "not a single concrete, credible piece of evidence." And that, "There is absolutely no system or practoce to consider it a crime for Christians to learn or spread their religion, or to gather for worship. Exactly the contrary, wothin the scope of freedom of religion and belief, everyone is guaranteed the right under the Constitution and laws [of Turkey] to live and spread his chosen faith." This state prosecutor was replaced for the next hearing. Following the hearing on Tuesday, Christian news agency Compass Direct wuote a defence lawyer as stating that, "Certainlt the case will go on for another year or 18 months."

The next hearing was set for Tuesday 4^th November.

Turkish Christians request our continued prayers that:

a.       All three charges will be dropped or our two brothers acquitted

b.      They and Hakan’s family will know the daily strength and peace of Jesus

c.       The Church across Turkey will be emboldened, not intimated, by this ongoing legal delay

d.      The defence lawyers will be know the Spirit’s wisdom and enabling

e.       The accusers and all officials involved will be attracted to the love of Jesus