FIRST THOUGHTS FROM IZMIR

Our journey here went very smoothly. It was easier to get through passport control to enter Türkiye (as the country wishes to be called), than it was getting back into the UK after our pilgrimage in May! And the pre-booked taxi got us to our overnight hotel in good time. Now we are in the chaplain’s flat, on the sixth floor of an older building,  with its view of St John’s church, and beyond, to Mount Pagus (though that has been largely obscured now  by newly constructed tower blocks.) It’s been hot – up to 35° during the day, and around 25° at night.) We’ve done some basic shopping, walked by the Aegean on the Kordon, in the morning and in the evening, and our body-clocks have adjusted to the 2-hour difference.

What has changed since our last visit, three years ago? New blocks being constructed, and some older buildings being demolished; a few empty shops, but there seem to be a number of new coffee houses, which are popular. There has been marked price inflation – but the exchange rate means that nothing is more expensive for us, and some things seem absurdly cheap. I have forgotten much of the little Turkish I learned, but we’ve managed to get SIM cards, so we can keep in touch with locals, and have got a broken pump on the water container fixed (mains water isn’t recommended for drinking, so water is delivered in 17 litre ‘carboys’.) People are still very friendly and helpful. The city is still full of young people and students, and the roads are full of cars!

Izmir is a fairly tolerant and secular city. There are numerous mosques, and some large new ones have been built in the past decade. But it doesn’t appear, or feel, strongly Moslem. Relatively few women wear hijabs, and hardly any veil their faces. It’s good to see young women together, with a variety of clothing, including some with head scarves. And there are probably more Christian churches per head of population than in many Turkish cities: St John’s is very visible, and the building is shared by the Turkish/English language Lighthouse (Işık) Church; there are 7 or 8 Catholic churches, and a number of evangelical churches, some meeting in adapted shops.

Our first Sunday Eucharist went smoothly. The congregation was about 25, of whom we knew about 10, either from our previous visits, or through ‘meeting’ on the Zoom Bible Study. In many ways, it’s a typical Anglican service, taken straight from Common Worship, with hymns from BBC Songs of Praise. The only things that distinguish it are the Turkish parallel translations of the text, and the reading of the Gospel in English and Turkish. But more than half the congregation are Turkish or Iranian; the server is from Lebanon. Some live very precarious lives, with uncertain futures. It’s probably more like the mixture that prevailed in the early Christian house-churches, than what prevails in most of our comfortable Anglican churches today.

We are once more reminded how blessed we are, as Christians and Anglicans, to belong to a truly world-wide community of believers. Jo and I are fortunate to be able to move around the Diocese in Europe, offering ministry in  many different countries. (Our waitress at the hotel in Stansted was quite envious of us!) We look forward to getting more involved in the life of the St John’s community, and learning from, as well as contributing something to, them.

Returning to Izmir

Our first visit to Izmir was six years ago – our last was three years ago. Since then Covid-19 has prevented any further locum ministry.  So it is good, and yet a little daunting, that we are now returning for our sixth time, to spend four weeks caring for St John’s Church and its congregation, while the chaplain has a well-earned holiday. It will be interesting to see what has changed, and what remains the same.

In fact we had a glimpse in May this year, when, as part of an excellent pilgrimage to the Seven Churches led by our friend Geoffrey Marshall, we visited the Roman forum of Smyrna, and called in to St John's. Some of the church-members we know welcomed our group with refreshments, and Father James gave us a guided tour of the church, and talked about its origins and its current life. The pilgrimage was great, as it enabled us to see parts of Turkey which we had not visited – including the surprisingly attractive site of Laodicea (despite its being castigated in as a ‘luke-warm’ church.) We were reminded how important Turkey was in the first three or four centuries of Christianity, with the first four ecumenical Councils being held here, and producing the creeds we still use.

We have been in regular contact with some of the church members- thanks to Zoom, which most of us had never heard of before March 2020. Through this, we have joined in Bible Studies with some of St John's people, in Izmir and beyond - one regular participant now lives and works in Maine, USA. I've led some of those meetings, and even preached and celebrated for a couple of Sunday morning eucharists.

 So when we return to the church on the first Sunday in September, it will not be a completely new experience. Except that some things will have changed. There are new people in the congregation, for St John's continues to draw in newcomers to Izmir – among them refugees from other countries, and local Turkish speakers who have been attracted to its worship. And some we knew well have moved on; including one lovely family from Iran, who are now settling into their new life in Australia (thanks to friends of ours from Bordeaux days.)

And we have changed. We are six years older, if not wiser, than when we first visited; and all of us have been affected by events - the coronavirus pandemic, economic problems (Turkey's inflation rate is even worse than the UK’s), and above all by the shadows cast by the war in Ukraine - just across the Black Sea from Turkey - and the increasingly obvious effects of climate change.

It is, praise God, true that 'Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.' But the context in which we affirm that belief does change, from year to year, and our present context is different from that which prevailed in 2019. If our preaching and teaching does not reflect those differences, we dishonour the God who is involved with us in all aspects of our daily life, and our teaching will not connect with where people are.

We hope that in this blog we shall be telling something of what we see and do in Izmir, and also trying to reflect on our experiences in the light of the Gospel.

Three more weeks in Izmir

We spent three weeks in Izmir in September.

Personal

It was interesting to be back there for a fifth time. It’s all very familiar. The city is big and noisy. One is continually crowded by people, and trying to avoid the delivery scooters which weave in and out on pedestrian ways. It’s not beautiful in itself; but the setting is lovely – hills all around and the curve of the large bay leading to the Aegean.

The weather was beautiful: hot, but tolerable, with cooler evenings and mornings, which made sleeping easier. We have seen most of the sites before, and didn’t have time to explore new territory, but we enjoyed walking by the Aegean and around the city. We had take one rail trip - to Foςa, where we had an excellent fish lunch beside the harbour. 

Izmir International Fair was held in Kulturpark during our stay, so we paid it one visit – but, rather disappointingly, the main halls, with exhibits from China and India, only opened in the evening, so we missed them. But we were able to wander around the bazaar and the food stalls.

We had one real cultural treat. The excellent Arcas Art Gallery (in the former French consulate) had an exhibition of Picasso’s work for the stage, including his designs for scenery, and the costumes for a couple of ballets. As the latter are held by the Paris Opera, we had never seen them.

The weather made it easier for Jo to walk, despite her arthritic hip, so we clocked up a few kilometres.

Above all, we enjoyed meeting some old friends (though they are mostly much younger than we are!). We had supper with a couple who got married last year, and with the Iranian family at church; we also met another friend for coffee.

Church

We had three Sundays at St John’s. It was encouraging to see that the numbers have increased slightly. There are some new, recent, Turkish and Iranian converts from Islam, and some American teachers; it is apparently hard to attract many of the British ex-patriates who work in Izmir. I think there were at least one or two visitors each week. The impression is of a healthy congregation. The church continues to be opened a couple of days a week, and people (mostly young Turks) come to look inside – an opportunity for some gentle outreach.

We also took two Evening Services at St Mary Magdalene’s Bornova, which has a small regular congregation; and we led two Bible Studies, which were enjoyable and worthwhile.

Turkey

There were no signs of much change in political and public life. The President’s party failed to keep control of Istanbul in mayoral elections earlier this year, and the re-run he demanded resulted in a larger majority for the opposition candidate. (The opposition party has dominated Izmir for some time.) Some members of Erdoĝan’s party have split to form a new party, so he is perhaps a little more subdued at the present.

One concern is that there has been a clampdown on foreign church leaders who preside over predominantly Turkish churches. As a result, the American pastor of the Lighthouse Church (which shares the use of St John’s) has had his residence rights withdrawn, as have others from that network. The church itself continues to meet, but with Turkish leadership. However, there does not appear to be any threat to the Anglican Chaplain or church.

Indeed, James thought that, paradoxically, on the whole life is easier for Christians under Erdoĝan than it had been under some of the aggressively secular governments of the past. Perhaps a sign of this is that the government last year contributed to the restoration of a major Orthodox church in Istanbul, and the Izmir municipality is paying for new roofs for St John’s and its hall.

Our refugee friends are finding life more difficult. The Turkish government has taken over all responsibility for asylum seekers, effectively marginalizing the United Nations. And they are restricting their rights. The policy is to ‘place’ all refugees in smaller cities, and to limit their ability to move around. So one church member is unable to come into Izmir for Bible study or to visit friends. And the Iranian family who live near the church are facing problems in finding a school place for their six-year old son in Izmir, as they are officially registered in Manisa.

At the root of the problem is the large number of refugees and asylum seekers in Turkey (3 to 4 million), many from Syria and Iran, which both have borders with Turkey. The government plans to send a large number of Syrians back over the border into Kurdish areas (which does not please the Kurds either.) There is also a concern that more refugees are trying to cross from the Western coast to Greek islands like Lesbos and Chios, where the camps are already dangerously overcrowded and insanitary. Around the world, most countries have closed their doors or are imposing strict quotas on new immigrants.

Reflection

It was good to see our friends, and to find the church alive and active. But it was a relief to get back home, to the slow pace and peace of Devon. We’ve been away from home a bit too much this year (18 weeks on locum service), and pray for a quieter time for a while.

Izmir Revisited

IZMIR REVISITED

Our second visit of 2018 was longer than our previous one week stay, but still shorter than in other years. We were there for just over three weeks. In many ways that was too short, as we had to fit a lot in during that time. The weather was typical of Izmir in August: hot all the time. It rained heavily once – and that didn’t touch the central part. Once again, we praised God for air conditioning, which at least enabled us to sleep.

St John’s church is doing well; most of the same people are still there, but it was good to meet some new members. James Buxton is clearly doing some good work, and has attracted new believers (four of whom had been baptised, by immersion, on Trinity Sunday after attending an Alpha course.

Michael celebrated and preached at three Sunday Eucharists, which seemed to go well. They are a remarkably good congregation to preach to, given that most weeks English is the first language for less than a quarter of them. Jo was able to play her full part, by sharing in leading the service, leading the intercessions and assisting with the chalice. On our final Sunday, we felt moved to offer prayer ministry, and almost half the congregation stayed for laying-on of hands and anointing.

Our stay covered four Wednesdays, so we had time to do a Bible Study on the Letter of James, with up to nine people attending – commendable, given that most – only a couple of whom were English-speaking - had to travel some way across town in the heat of the day. Each week we had good discussion and prayer. We also travelled to St Mary Magdalene’s church in Bornova for the Tuesday evening prayers, as well as joining in the Tuesday morning prayers of the New Frontiers church that share the use of St John’s church.

We visited three members – two of them out of town: one for a barbeque and prayer, one to meet a new baby; and we had supper with a lovely Iranian couple who have had some difficulties. We also had a time of prayer ministry for a regular member and her daughter from the States. Two people came to us for a meal.

We can add to that one evening out on the town with Şeyma and Berk, the young couple we’ve seen each visit; it’s touching that they seem to enjoy our company; coffee with one of their friends we’ve got to know, and breakfast with Canaan, Şeyma’s sister and another of Jo’s former pupils from St Sidwell days. (A full Turkish breakfast is a thing of wonder – various dishes to choose from, endless cups of tea, and coffee to finish. It makes most British brunches look a bit inadequate!)

So we feel we used our time to the full. The friendliness of young Turks is delightful; one assistant at the supermarket we usually shopped at always called out ‘Hallo’ when she saw us – and on our last visit used Google Translate on her phone to say ‘You are so sweet’ (something that’s never been said to me in the Axminster Tesco!) And we continued to benefit from the regularity with which we were both offered seats on crowded trains and trams.

More seriously: we’ve experienced some sort of crisis each time we’ve been to Izmir. This time it was the threat of American sanctions, which, combined with the rising inflation in the country, pushed the value of the Turkish lira to a new low on the exchange markets. (It came too late in our stay to benefit us much!) There are various suggested reasons for the financial problems – excessive borrowing to pay for large infrastructure projects, and some unwise government policies among them. So life is becoming more difficult for many local people.

The American reaction focussed on the continuing legal process against Andrew Brunson, an American minister who has been leading a small Turkish-speaking church which meets in premises not far from St John’s. By all accounts, he is very committed to his ministry and to evangelism, with a number of converts in his church; the accusations of spying and involvement with terrorist groups seem absurd. But he is a useful pawn for President Erdogan in seeking the extradition from the USA of the Muslim cleric he was formerly allied to, but who is now accused of masterminding the failed coup of 2016. The unfortunate effect of some of Trump’s posturing is to make Andrew Brunson look more important than he is. The good news is that he has been released from prison, but he is confined to his home. At least he is back with his family, and friends can visit him.

However, at the moment there does not appear to be any general threat against Christian churches or their leaders. A group of various denominational leaders in Istanbul issued a statement while we were in the country, asserting that they had not experienced any restrictions on their activity. There are no restrictions on the Izmir churches; the police guard by the church and the British consulate remain very relaxed and friendly.

President Erdogan has now been given extensive powers, which seem to be subject to minimal checks and balances. The situation will become clearer as time passes, but his direct power to appoint ministers, control the military and dictate to the judiciary must cause some concern. But he clearly won the election earlier this year. That said, Izmir itself still feels very open and inclusive. Only a minority of women wear the hijab, and burqas are a rare sight. But Ataturk’s founding vision of a totally secular society has largely been abandoned, with Islamic values being asserted more at national level – though, as I said, with no significant restrictions on other faith communities. Despite the economic problems, Izmir’s infrastructure is being improved, with a smooth new tramway, and some improvements to the coastal foot and cycle paths. The suburban railway (Izban) has also been extended south, which makes it easier to get to Selςuk and Ephesus (which we visited for the fourth time!)

We continue to be rather concerned about the asylum-seekers at St John’s; there are now six or more from Iran. Those we know best have been in Turkey for around three years, and there is little prospect of their being able to move on to third countries, as most of them seem to have closed their borders, or adopted policies of discouraging all attempts at immigration. Turkey has been remarkably open and generous in allowing well over a million people to enter – but these live in a kind of limbo, with restrictions on where they may live and what they can do; though they do get basic healthcare, and there seems to be a readiness to allow them to study.

We have always enjoyed our visits to Izmir, and feel encouraged by the continuing vitality of St John’s, and its central importance as a Christian presence in the city. For understandable reasons, there has been a certain downplaying of the times the church is open – but when it is open, there are always visitors, usually young people, many of whom are happy, and free, to ask questions and receive leaflets about the Bible and Christian faith.

St John’s feels like ‘our’ church in many ways; we will continue to pray regularly for them all – and ask you to remember them too.

Epiphany in Izmir

Our recent stay in Izmir was only for one week, but it was a good experience. We could review the situation of both the society and of St John’s Church. Unlike our two previous visits, this time there were no national crises or major political campaigns- so we were not harangued from loudspeakers; life seemed fairly normal and tranquil!  Indeed, one of the remarkable aspects of life in Izmir is still how normal things seem. Probably, there is close surveillance, but we saw only one policeman with a sub-machine gun (by contrast, Paris seemed to be frequented by them.) The friendliness of welcome at the passport control in Izmir contrasts favourably with what many ‘foreigners’ experience at London airports. (When Jo presented her visa, the officer declined to look at it, saying she ‘looked honest!) The helpfulness of the average Turk is notable; Jo was always offered seats on crowded metro trains.

St John’s seemed to be in good heart. The new chaplain, James Buxton, has obviously settled in and developed good relations with the people. There have been comings and goings, but several new people have taken on active roles in the church. We went primarily for the baptism of the second son of one of the Iranian refugee families, at the Epiphany Sunday Eucharist. It was a happy occasion; although the municipality cut off electric power just before we started – there are major works going on locally to set up a tram network – there were enough candles to provide light, as the Christmas decorations were still in place.  They helped incidentally to create a special atmosphere!

We also led the weekly Bible Study. It was good to see even more church members than before attending; for most of them English is their second language (which does create a few problems.) But there is a real desire to grow in faith and knowledge. This desire was also shown in a conversation after the Sunday Eucharist when a young Turkish woman – not a committed Christian, though with some Orthodox family background – asked me about the blessing of the sea at Epiphany, how one received the Holy Spirit, and whether he proceeded from Father alone, or from Father and Son. (I think that was the first discussion I have ever had outside clerical or theological circles about the Filioque controversy!)

On our Saturday flanerie, we visited the sole remaining Greek Orthodox church in Izmir – Saint Voukolos’ (he was apparently a disciple of St John the Divine, and precursor of Polycarp.) It has been restored by the municipality, and serves as a cultural centre, but is also used for the Orthodox services. As this was the feast of the Epiphany, the church was crowded for the divine liturgy; it was good to see the RC bishop in the sanctuary.

In one of the English-language newspapers, we saw that President Erdogan was going to attend the inaugural service at the newly restored Romanian Orthodox Church in Istanbul. The Turkish government had contributed to the cost of the building work. St John’s Church continues to be open for visits on several days each week (though prudence has dictated a slightly lower profile, with no canvassing on the street.) Next week a local primary school have asked to bring a group of children on a visit.

These positive signs must be balanced against signs of an increasingly strident Islamisation of this previously solidly secular society, with changes to the school curriculum and an increase in the number of faith-based schools. Some Christian pastors have been imprisoned; the previous churchwarden at St John’s and her doctor husband had to leave Izmir at short notice after untrue statements were made about them in one Turkish newspaper. Turkey is not a comfortable country for journalists or opposition politicians (one of whom is being sued for ‘demeaning the office of the president.’)

Finally, we really sympathise with the Iranian refugees, who feel trapped in Turkey. Their situation could be worse: they can get jobs, and receive free medical care. But one, a qualified Electrical Engineer, who had been told he would be able to move permanently to another country within a year or so, is about to begin his fourth year in Izmir. The Trump administration’s refusal to admit refugees, and its withdrawal of funding from UNHCR, together with the increasing raising of barriers by other countries, is leading to much frustration and a terrible wasted of talent. Please pray for a solution to be found soon!

We enjoyed our visit, and hope to be able to return later this year.

Looking Back

We are now back In England, after an smooth journey back (apart from the greater number of security and passport checks at both Turkish airports.) It’s good to be back in our own home, with availability of books and music, choice of clothes and the calm of a small town in East Devon. But we miss our involvement in the life of St John’s and all the friends we have made there.

Our Holy Week was worthwhile, if a bit limited. We held an afternoon service for Good Friday – which about twelve church members were able to attend, as well as a number of Turkish passers-by, who called in and stayed for the rest of the service. Our Easter Day Eucharist was a joyful occasion, as always; and we had a lovely leave-taking afterwards. We were given a hand-woven kilim – a reminder, we were told, of how our lives are woven together. And someone had had a luscious strawberry and cream cake made, with the iced message ‘Michael and Jo, we love you.’!

Easter Day was also the day of the Turkish referendum on much increased presidential powers. To nobody’s great surprise, President Erdogan got his way – but only by a small margin. Given the huge disparity between the government-funded campaign for Yes and the severely restricted No campaign of the opposition, it almost counts as a defeat. The campaign and its aftermath was at least fairly peaceful. The Izmir region voted strongly against the proposed changes; again, no surprise. It will be interesting to watch further developments from a distance. Some of the Iranian refugees are anxious that there will be a push for more Islamisation in Turkey. And it will probably be even more uncomfortable to be an opposition politician, or a journalist. But as there will be presidential elections in two years’ time, Erdogan will have to ensure he loses no more support (even his home-base Istanbul had voted against the new constitution.)

So we look back on seven and a half busy weeks. As always, we are conscious of the privilege of doing locum ministry. We get to spend time living in a ‘normal’ area of a city, with regular contact with locals – so different from the experience of spending a week in a hotel or holiday let. We become part of a local church, with a real opportunity of getting to know and learn from people with many different stories. We meet Christians from other churches and denominations. Talking to refugees from Iran, we gained a much deeper realisation of all they have suffered, and the continuing pain of their unrooted existence in a temporary setting. They do not really belong anywhere, or possess anything – despite their skills and gifts. It is deplorable that those who are fleeing intolerant regimes are rejected by Western governments that criticise those same regimes.

I am writing this on the feast day of a third-century martyr from Turkey, who was executed in Palestine – one St George. It should be a reminder of our common humanity, unrestricted by narrow nationalism.  At present, most Christians in Turkey have freedom to meet and worship, but there must always be caution; Christian pastors have been arrested on little evidence, and in more Muslim areas, there can be some hostility. Complaints about the apparent downplaying of Easter in chocolate eggs hunts in England sound strange in a country where there is no outward recognition of any kind of this central Christian festival! At St John’s we were able to go on procession around the church on Palm Sunday, but we were told that in some places that would be impossible.

Our hope is that the appointment of a permanent chaplain will proceed according to plan. But we also hope that this will not have been our last ever visit to Izmir and the congregation of St John’s.

Please pray for the people of St John’s in the months to come:

That the refugees may have more than a glimmer of hope for the future.

For justice and openness in Turkey.

Holy Week in Izmir

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. It was good to be celebrating this in a church with palm trees outside; the Catholic Cathedral administrator brought us many (fresh, green) palm branches to decorate the church and to carry in our procession from the hall, as we walked around the church – shouting Hosanna! -before entering for the service. We had brought palm crosses with us from England (a bit like carrying coal to Newcastle, I suppose!) and distributed them to everyone. And, although the congregation is not large, they joined very positively in the crowd parts of the Passion reading. It felt a satisfying start to Holy Week. We were surprised during the Offertory hymn when the congregation more than doubled in size when a large group of young people (obviously on a walking tour) came in at the back of the church; they stayed, many taking photographs, for most of the Eucharistic Prayer - when they left as suddenly as they had arrived. Another indication of the interest many young Turkish people some to have towards Christianity.

Our plans for an afternoon boat ride across the Bay were frustrated. With the referendum on presidential power only a week away, the government AK Party are pulling out all the stops. Some of the streets and the waterfront are festooned with AKP flags, and the President was speaking on a huge stage set up the Cordon, which was out of bounds to visitors. Bus-loads of supporters were brought in from outlying parts (many in buses sponsored by local firms.) We saw crowds making their way to the assembly, which could be heard over a wide area. Restaurant owners must have been disgruntled, because many were out of bounds. The vote takes place next Sunday.

So we walked in Kulturpark (on the site of the former Armenian area, destroyed in the great fire of Izmir in 1922 – sadly there is no acknowledgement of this anywhere. Turkey is quite adept at airbrushing or ignoring its past.) It was nice to see a group of teenagers happily jiving to 1950 jazz music.

On Friday we ventured somewhere new. One of the Iranian members lives as Manisa (in line with government policy to assign refugees to specific towns, to avoid over-concentration in large cities.) It’s accessible by train, so we went, to see her, and to visit this town, which was an important centre of learning in Ottoman period. There are some lovely, well-restored buildings, including a former hospital now turned into a medical museum. It was informative, with panels in Turkish and (pretty good) English; there were some gruesome displays of surgical instruments, and tableaux of procedures. Ottoman medicine apparently included music therapy – something which has only recently come on the scene in Europe – and some innovative medicine. Manisa is famous for its paste made of a mixture of 41 herbs and spices. We bought a tube, and will test its therapeutic powers. A mountain-range towers over the town; at the top of a river, which runs down through the town is ‘Niobe’s Rock’. Readers of Ovid may remember the tale of how Apollo and Artemis took vengeance on Niobe for her hubris in boasting about her children; they were killed by the gods, and Niobe’s tears continue to flow, though her head has been petrified!

Now we prepare for the rest of Holy Week – which of course makes little impact on Turkish society and shops; so there are no Hot-cross buns, or Easter eggs (or bunnies) in the shops. We hope a few church members will be able to attend a Good Friday service at 2.00pm (but other churches have evening services for those who are working.) There are not enough people to support Maundy Thursday or Easter Eve services, I fear. We’ll be taking home communions to a few people. We finished our Bible Study on Ephesians last week, so we will do a one-off one for Holy Week. And then Easter Sunday will be our last engagement before we pack up and return to the UK and our family.

Please pray:

For protection of Christians this week; (there have been few attacks on churches in Turkey, but the dreadful incidents in Egypt may provoke others.)

For our final services at St John’s.

For the future of the church, as the appointment process of a permanent chaplain continues.

For safe and easy leave-taking and return to the UK.