“Turkey sees Protestants as danger to state security”

Madrigal suspects the Turkish government banned him from the country for proselytising his faith. He says so in an interview with Evangelical Focus. The official reason to him, given by the authorities, is that he is a danger to national order and security. Yet, neither he nor his lawyer can see the dossier from the Turkish intelligence centre, which states that.

Expelling

According to the Spanish pastor, many Christians in Turkey are affected by the opposition of the Turkish government. "There are 80 brothers and sisters in the faith who are in the same situation", Madrigal says to Evangelical Focus. "The ban affects many others because family members usually accompany those who are expelled. It is a tacit way of expelling missionaries from the country."

Furthermore, the authorities deny citizenship to foreign spouses of Turkish Christians, Rosa Orriols, the wife of pastor Madrigal, adds. "After three years of marriage to a Turkish citizen, a person has the right to Turkish nationality", she explains. "But the authorities have denied it based on "security concerns" without giving any further explanation."

Secularism

Even though Turkey is officially secular, the country has a Sunni Islamic Ministry of Religion. And minorities do not have a say, Madrigal says. "There is an awareness of secularism in jurisprudence, but in practice, the subject of religion is compulsory at schools. There has been a whole investment in 'Islamicising' the country's mind."

The Turks frown when learning that someone is Evangelical, according to Madrigal. "The first thing they do is connect you with the extreme right in the United States. That is why we call ourselves Protestants because the term is seen differently." However, this is also slowly changing. The pastor notices that Protestants are also seen as those who are against the government.

Court proceedings

The Spanish pastor and his wife are taking his entry ban to the European Court of Human rights if other proceedings in Turkey fail. Madrigal explains that because he is not allowed to see his dossier, it is hard to win legal proceedings in Turkey. "Of the 80 people who have been expelled, about 30 have started legal proceedings. About 15 of us have lost their first trial and an appeal. The next step is the Constitutional Court and, after that, the European Court of Human Rights."