Man assaulted for missionary activities

A 24-year-old street seller assaulted a man on the grounds that he was proselytizing Christianity, holding a knife to his throat in Istanbul before surrendering to police, newspapers reported Tuesday.

The incident, the latest in a string of religiously-motivated attacks in Turkey in recent years, happened Monday on a busy avenue in Istanbul's Kadiköy district, before the eyes of dozens of passersby.

The assailant – identified as 24-year-old pirate CD vendor – wrapped a Turkish flag around the head of İsmail Aydın, 35, put a knife to his throat and shouted, "This is Turkey, you cannot distribute Bibles here," Habertürk newspaper said.

The stand-off lasted 20 minutes before the police persuaded the assailant to surrender, according to the daily Sabah.

The street vendor later told police he was angry with Aydın for converting to Christianity and engaging in missionary activities, Sabah reported, while the daily Vatan suggested the assailant was mentally disturbed.

Proselytizing is generally viewed with suspicion in Turkey, whose population is predominantly Muslim, with small Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian and Jewish communities, concentrated in Istanbul.

An Italian Roman Catholic priest was shot dead in 2006 and three Protestants – a German missionary and two Turkish converts – had their throats cut in 2007.

Two Catholic priests have been stabbed and several churches have reported harassment and threats.

The incidents have fueled fears of rising nationalism and hostility against non-Muslims in Turkey.