R.B. also said that he was inspired by the popular television series "The Valley of Wolves", which in some episodes portrayed Christian missionaries in Turkey as enemies of the nation. His statement confirms that he sees his act as a commitment to nationalism (see Hurriyet 9 April 2008
hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster).
A number of church leaders had already complained about the broadcast of this series both to the public prosecutor and to the RTUK (Radio Television Supervisory Organ), regarding it as incitement to hatred. However, the prosecutor did not regard it as constituting a crime, while the RTUK took a long time to issue a warning to the producers and the channel which broadcast it.
The current President of the Alliance of Protestant Churches, Zekai Tanyar, warns that in the past year Protestants, particularly in smaller cities and towns, have felt intimidated by rising intolerance against their community. He says they are reluctant to go to the police when they receive anonymous threats or face what can only be described as discrimination in their dealings with public authorities: they fear they will only draw more attention to themselves and, in any case, will not succeed. Only in some cases where there have been serious attacks on church buildings and serious threats to the lives of church leaders, as referred to in the Alliance's report, has the State provided protection.
A number of churches have instead hired private security companies, while others make sure they lock the doors during worship services. While they are thankful for the cases where the State has provided protection, they are also troubled by the constant reminder of the need for such protection against potential attacks. Inevitably, questions are raised. Why is police protection needed for a place of worship, where it ought to be possible for the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief to be exercised without interference by anyone? Why should a church leader need round-the-clock protection wherever they are? How long will such protection be needed? Increased worries about security have also frightened church members when coming to worship services with their families and children.
According to Tanyar, the Protestant Churches' concerns and expectations are no different than in 2006, before the Malatya murders, as the conditions have not changed. He acknowledges that the necessary changes will need a long time to take effect. Securing freedom of religion or belief for all belief communities requires work on many different fronts; it has political, legal and societal aspects. Creating conditions conducive for a tolerant society - where not only Protestants, but a wide range of groups that are distinct from the dominant or majority of the population will be tolerated - will take a long time.
Tanyar also notes that, for many months, the Government has been held up by successive crises in domestic politics, such as the problems around lifting the ban on the wearing of headscarves by female university students and the recent lawsuit aiming to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Like many other reforms, legal steps that need to be taken for better protection of everyone's freedom of religion or belief are postponed, while the government deals with what it regards as more urgent matters. However, concrete steps must be taken in this direction, otherwise this goal can never be achieved.
But despite the progress that has been made in the legal sphere, even the steps that have been taken are sadly incomplete. The long-promised new Foundations Law does not allow Muslim or non-Muslim religious communities to legally exist as themselves, and so they are not themselves allowed to own their own places of worship. As Dilek Kurban of the Istanbul-based TESEV Foundation noted, the Law is "incompatible with the principle of freedom of association, which is guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, the Constitution and the Treaty of Lausanne".
Tanyar is clear that, as a community, the Protestant Churches do not wish to become simply a tool for the political ends of various groups. In this context he points to politicians who exaggerate the level of missionary activities and numbers of those who have converted to Christianity as a result of these activities. Such politicians do this to reinforce criticism of the Government which has enacted legislation making spreading a religion a legal activity.
