On Friday, August 8th, ICC’s Advocacy Department met with a senior government official in Turkey to discuss the situation for Christians and otherreligious minorities in the country. The official warned ICC that many Turkish leaders, including the current Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are becoming increasingly brash, issuing pro-Islamic statements and disparaging ethnic and religious minorities.

The official pointed out that when the Prime Minister makes negative statements about religious minorities it creates an environment of hostility and eventually “there is murder in the streets.” The official also warned that the Turkish government was not doing enough to protect vulnerable Christian and other religious minorities who have fled from Syria and Iran.