(The EIPS is not responsible for the content of external sites) Viewed 1,400+ times | Monday, May 17, 2004

The producer and host of a Turkish TV news show has been sentenced to nearly two years in jail for airing fales provocations against Turkish Protestants. On April 5, a panel of judges ruled that Kerim Akbas’ programs on Baskent TV had incited violent attacks last year on local Christian citizens and their places of worship in Ankara. In video clips from Akbas’ Haber Dosyasi (News File) shows, he accuses local Protestant groups of creating ‘ethnic, radical division to disturb the peace,’ claiming that Protestants were maintaining secret links with foreign intelligence organisations, and paying Muslim young people to become Christians. Ten days after Akbas’ first ‘expose’ a local church was attacked. Another local church received bomb threats. ‘This may be the first such legal ruling here in favour of non-Muslins,’ the plaintiffs’ attorney said. Despite Turkey’s secular identity, Muslims who convert to Christianity have been repeatedly slandered with impunity by the Turkish media. (Compass Direct)

BRITISH CHURCH NEWSPAPER – 30 APRIL 04