I’m Martin Thomas and it’s Wednesday 18th June 2025.
Welcome to the 7-minute country briefing – your deep dive into news and current affairs from a country in the Middle East and North Africa – brought to you by SAT-7.
This month, we journey to Türkiye, a nation that bridges East and West and was once the heart of early Christianity. Although home to many foundational moments in the Church’s story, today less than 1% of Turkish people are Christians.
In this month's episode we’ll hear how SAT-7 TÜRK, SAT-7’s dedicated Turkish channel, is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Türkiye’s national satellite and learn from SAT-7 TÜRK’s Executive Director, Ümit Teymur, how the ministry has grown in the last 10 years and what his hopes are for the next decade.
Known in antiquity as Asia Minor, Türkiye holds a significant place in Christian heritage as a cradle of the early Church, having hosted many key events including a number of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. Indeed, this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Sitting on multiple fault lines, Türkiye lies within a highly seismic region and as a result, Türkiye is often subject to significant earthquakes. However, this didn’t stop the vast Ottoman Empire, formed in Türkiye in the thirteenth century, from becoming a global power. It remained so until its defeat by Allied forces in World War I, when resisting Allied influence, the Republic of Türkiye was formed in 1923. 2002 saw the end of secularist rule with the election of the conservative Justice and Development Party (AK) and the government has since survived several crises including a failed coup.
Today, despite Türkiye’s ancient Christian heritage, the majority of the country identify as Sunni Muslim, and Christianity is widely seen as a foreign import, with Christians constituting less than 1 per cent of the population. Some Christian groups are officially recognised, but establishing a centre of Christian worship can be a challenging process. While the secular state officially protects religious freedom, in practice Christians face restrictions on owning property, training leaders, and obtaining visas for foreign workers, as well as societal opposition and discrimination.
It’s into this context that SAT-7’s dedicated Turkish channel, SAT-7 TÜRK, broadcasts the good news of Jesus to the people of Türkiye. SAT-7 TÜRK is the first and only Christian channel to be allowed to broadcast on the government-regulated satellite Türksat, which has an audience of 50 million in Türkiye, as well as viewers in Europe and Central Asia. SAT-7 TÜRK’s Executive Director Ümit Teymur said:
“We work to be the voice of Christians in Türkiye, to correct misconceptions about Christianity with love and truth and to show the love of Christ to those who do not yet know Him. Although this path is sometimes full of uncertainties and trials, we walk on water every day, because we move forward not in our own strength but in our faith in Christ.”
You’re listening to the 7-minute country briefing podcast brought to you by SAT-7.
If you would like to reflect further and pray for the nation of Türkiye, don’t miss our devotional book 40 Days of Prayer for the Middle East. As you journey through the region, you’ll discover some of the lesser-known chapters of Türkiye's story, and how God has been at work throughout the nation's history. Order today at sat7uk.org/40days.
Back now to Türkiye, where one SAT-7 TÜRK viewer, Ercan, overcame the odds to find Jesus and community in Türkiye. “I came across SAT-7 TÜRK and [it’s] changed my life. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, and I still happily attend church. These things are not easy in our country.”
With this year marking SAT-7 TÜRK’s 10th anniversary on Türkiye’s national satellite, Ercan’s experience reflects how SAT-7 TÜRK’s ministry has grown in that time. Ümit Teymur shared about this growth:
“Over time SAT-7 TÜRK’s programme diversity has increased, and our technical capacity has strengthened. But the most important aspect has been the spiritual growth, our relationships with Christian communities have deepened, and our inter-church collaboration has also strengthened.”
Ümit also shared, how, alongside experiencing God’s faithfulness, the team has also faced a variety of difficulties. He said: “We encountered technical impossibilities, limited human resources and misunderstandings of Christianity... People found it strange to have a Christian TV channel in Türkiye. But we did not give up, because we wholeheartedly believe that this service is carried out not by human hands but by God’s call.”
Finally, as SAT-7 TÜRK looks ahead to the next decade, we echo the prayer of Ümit and pray that “SAT-7 TÜRK will continue to represent the Christian faith in Türkiye in an accurate, loving and understandable way.” We give thanks for the ministry of SAT-7 TÜRK and pray that the Lord will encourage the team as they work to challenge misconceptions, support their viewers and share the Gospel.
Thank you for listening to the 7-minute country briefing from SAT-7.
Take a look at today’s show notes, where you’ll find links to today’s briefing article, plus ideas of how you can be praying for Christians in Türkiye.
