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Public Perceptions of the Christian Minority in Turkey

London: Screen Changers (2015), 55 pp.

Contains bibliogr. pp. 53-55

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"The report reveals that for most respondents, Christianity is a concept that is foreign to Turkish culture. Whilst this situation is a consequence of the low numbers of Christians, it is also influenced by educational content and the media. Despite the rich history of Christianity in Turkey, the existence of numerous ancient Christian sites and centuries of living side by side, only a fraction of the public has a good level of knowledge about Christian history and practice. More creative and holistic inclusion of Christianity in formal education curricula and in the mass media can contribute to improved understanding and the public’s ability to recoup and value its lost heritage. More than half of the respondents state that neither the media nor the public is objective in its treatment of non-Muslims. It may be helpful to develop a deeper understanding of this reported partiality in future research. Questions also arise regarding the public’s significant over-estimation of the proportion of Christians in the general population and whether this is linked to fear or perceptions of bias." (Conclusion)