Turkish authorities have ordered the temporary closure of a church jointly used by three Christian denominations in the western province of Bursa, citing earthquake safety concerns and leading to disappointment among churchgoers, the ANKA news agency reported on Wednesday.
The regional Directorate for Foundations, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, last month sent a notice to the Bursa Protestant Church in Osmangazi ordering that it be closed by August 24 for reinforcement work due to its classification as not being earthquake-resistant.
Commonly known among locals as the “French Church,” the structure is jointly used by the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant communities and is the only church in Bursa where Christians can practice their faith.
The decision for the temporary closure of the church is causing hardship for its congregation due to the lack of alternative options being provided by the directorate.
President of the Bursa Protestant Church Life and Culture Foundation and Protestant cleric İsmail Kulakçıoğlu told ANKA that the church, built in the 1880s, was restored between 2002 and 2004 and has been in use since then.
Citing an expert report, Kulakçıoğlu added that the risks are lower than claimed by the directorate and that the overall condition of the building is solid.
“There is no corrosion or cracking caused by water. Most importantly, the simple cracks that did not affect the condition of the building were repaired during the restoration carried out between 2002 and 2004,” the cleric said.
Kulakçıoğlu said they had requested that the regional Directorate for Foundations and the Bursa Governor’s Office cancel or postpone the decision to close the church, which he said contributes to cultural and faith tourism by being open to visitors both from the local area and abroad.
“When we assess this overall situation, it is very likely that this building will be one of the least damaged in the area [in a possible earthquake]. Also, I want to ask this: Why are you starting the closures here when many other buildings [in worse shape] could be closed down?” the cleric said.
In a recent report by the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was criticized for many rights violations, including restricting efforts of minority religious groups to train their clergy and making it difficult for them to open or operate houses of worship and obtain exemptions from mandatory religion classes in schools.