Injured Turkish Christian Contacts Fellow Believers

(Compass) – Nine months after he was beaten into a prolonged coma by ultra-nationalists opposed to his conversion to Christianity, Yakup Cindilli, 31, has for the first time made personal contact with Protestant Christian acquaintances in Turkey . Without telling his conservative Muslim family, Cindilli left his home in Orhangazi in late July and made the three-hour bus trip to Istanbul , where he attempted to make contact with some of his Christian friends. Friends noted that Cindilli spoke rationally, but was not always able to pronounce his words clearly. “He showed us that he did not have full use of his right arm,” commented one of his friends. “But he was able to walk normally and seemed to be in good spirits.” Another friend said, “He prayed that God would bring him back to full health. His faith appears to remain intact, even after all that has happened.” Following the unexpected visit, Pastor Ismail Kulakcioglu drove him back to his home in Orhangazi.