Blogging News Page
This page keeps you up to date with all the breaking news about our publishing work in Turkey, and also gives you our comments on other relevant issues. Please send us any news or comment that you think would be of interest to others. Information on how to purchase Haberci books is given on our 'Recent Titles' page.
Please also send us your name and address details if you would like to receive our email newsletter regularly - we send out 2 to 4 a year.
20 Jan 2010
Our latest title, The Watchmaker's Daughter by Jean Watson, has just been published. It is the inspiring story of Corrie Ten Boom's work of saving Jews from Nazi persecution in the Netherlands during the Second World War, and her triumph over the hardships of a Nazi concentration camp.
7 Jan 2010
Christianity is still from time to time occupying the front page of news in Turkey because of on-going claims that a link exists between the alleged army Ergenekon plan to destabilise the pro-Islamic government and the murders of the three Christians in Malatya, the 2006 assassination of Catholic priest Andreas Santoro and the 2007 slaying of Hrant Dink, Armenian editor-in-chief of the weekly Agos. Please pray for the steady flow of enquirers resulting from this publicity, and for the Turkish churches and believers following up such contacts - especially via the Internet.
6 Jan 2010
Please pray for our overall finances. The economic difficulties of the world continue to affect individuals' giving. Pray that we will be able to maintain an effective book and media publishing work - as well as continuing to support Turkish national Christian workers adequately.
5 Jan 2010
We have just issued our Winter FFT newsletter - opens in a new window.
28 Dec 2009
Our latest title, the IVP Bible Speaks Today commentary on Exodus by J A Motyer, has just come off the press.
18 Dec 2009
In a decision many hope will lead to greater religious freedom in Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found that a Turkish court ruling barring a church from starting a foundation violated the congregation’s right to freedom of association. Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a Turkish attorney and legal adviser for the litigants, said the decision is the first time the ECHR has held that religious organisations have a right to exist in Turkey.
11 Dec 2009
We have recently published a 'Free Book' compendium of chapters from the most popular of our titles, and distributed it at an Istanbul book fair. We hope that the widespread distribution of this title will encourage the purchase and reading of our other titles.
5 Dec 2009
The difficulty of Christian witness and life in Turkey has been underlined by the results of a recent survey. Major findings are that 59% of Turks feel that non-Muslims should not be free to hold religious meetings, and almost 40% have negative views of Christians. Full details will be found on the Compass Direct News website. Please continue to pray for Christians, Christian workers, and Christian activities in Turkey.
3 Dec 2009
Please sign the Barnabas Fund online petition against inhuman Islamic apostasy laws (imposition of the death penalty for leaving Islam). Although Turkey does not have such a law, the existence of extreme apostasy laws in some Muslim countries encourages extreme behaviour in all the others - including Turkey.
1 Dec 2009
We have released the final production version of a 15-minute audio visual DVD on our Silas Project. The DVD is available for private showing on request. Please view the reduced size trailer - opens in a new window.
20 Nov 2009
Please give thanks that the major Turkish TV debate today went very well, with Carlos Madrigal being able to address with grace and wisdom a good many vital issues such as: the true status of the 'Gospel of Barnabas'; the meaning of Christ's claim to be the Messiah; the meaning of the statement in John's Gospel that 'the Word became flesh'; and the common Muslim comment that: "Jesus is just another prophet".
18 Nov 2009
Please pray for Carlos Madrigal of the Church of Altintepe in Istanbul, whose major Christianity-Islam apologetic book is currently being published. He has been asked to speak in a major national channel (HaberTürk) TV debate this Friday (20 Nov). Carlos comments: "In such TV debates awkward and uncomfortable questions are often brought up. Please pray that the Holy Spirit gives me wisdom to answer well and be an effective witness. I cannot emphasise enough what an important witnessing tool this program will be because it will reach to millions of living rooms and have a lasting follow-up impact. It will also be an opportunity to promote my book, which is a solid document on the reliability of the Bible. Please pray as well that the program and attendant publicity will not have an adverse effect on the processing of my work permit, for which I applied last month."
15 Nov 2009
Please pray for a strengthening of Christian marriages in Turkey, that couples may be filled with the refreshment and love of the Lord for each other, and that couples in relationship difficulties may work through them in the strength of the Holy Spirit. The devil seems to be finding marriage a fruitful field of attack at the moment in the Turkish Church.
12 Nov 2009
Give thanks that the trial of the Russian-born German who stabbed to death a Muslim woman in a Dresden courtroom in July has come to a speedy and just conclusion, with a severe sentence being imposed. Full details are on the BBC World News website. Please continue to pray for a speedier and just end to the trial of the men accused of slaying three Christian publishers over two years ago in Malatya, southeastern Turkey.
28 Oct 2009
A surprise development has taken place in the various 'Christian' murder cases that are currently ongoing in Turkey. The head of Turkey's police intelligence department was removed on 16 Oct amid allegations that he failed to prevent the murder of the Christian editor of an Armenian weekly and the slayings of three Christians in Malatya (southeastern Turkey). Ramazan Akyurek is also accused of withholding evidence in those cases and improperly investigating the murder of a Catholic priest in 2006. Full details will be found at Compass Direct. Please give thanks for this step forward, and also pray for a just and proper conclusion to the current trial, in Germany, of the Russian-born man who stabbed an Egyptian Muslim woman to death in a courtroom in Dresden last July.
14 Oct 2009
We have extended our PayPal donation facility to include recurring donations (Monthly, Quarterly, Half-Yearly, Yearly).
30 Sep 2009
We have published The Problem of Pain by C S Lewis. This beautiful little book is on a par with the author's well-known classic Mere Christianity, also published by us. It addresses many profound questions that those in search of truth must grapple with. Lewis was an English scholar and writer, not an academic theologian, so his words are easy to understand.
28 Sep 2009
With sponsorship from OM we have distributed the title Lead Like Jesus (in Turkish) to 100 Turkish Christian leaders.
14 Sep 2009
We have just published the trailer of our DVD on the reliability of the Gospels. The full DVD will be available in 2010.
11 Sep 2009
We have just published Elisabeth Elliot's wonderful story, Through Gates of Splendour, of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot and his four missionary companions at the hands of the South American Auca Indian tribe in 1956. This latest edition includes much material on what has happened over the intervening years.
29 Aug 2009
We assisted in the Turkish publication of Paul Bramsen's title One God, One Message by Gercege Dogru, which is just off their press.
28 Aug 2009
Our Istanbul publishing house, Haberci, has just published an edition of J C Ryle's timeless classic Walking with God, for a third party.
27 Aug 2009
Roger and Yvonne are now in the USA until early 2010.
22 Aug 2009
We are assisting in the distribution of The Roma Chronicles by by Bob Hitching - a novel based on the lives of several Roma (Gipsy) families in the recent Yugoslav war. The book seeks to show how innocence and love can break through the horrors of rape and murder - and how the Gospel can redeem the most tragic of lives.
10 Aug 2009
We are planning to publish an audio (CD) version of The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollack - a title about St Paul we published some time ago.
8 Aug 2009
Our publishing house in Istanbul, Haberci, are publishing Answering Islam by Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, for a third party.
6 Aug 2009
We have implemented an international website donation facility using PayPal. Click on the Donate menu item for further details.
1 Aug 2009
We have received funding to publish a free book consisting of 10 chapters, one from each of our most popular titles.
2 Jul 2009
We have just issued our Summer Newsletter - opens in a new window.
29 Jun 2009
Roger and Yvonne are in the UK for July and August.
11 Jun 2009
We have just published Patricia St.John's wonderful and sensitive children's tale Star of Light about a brother and blind sister who run away from a hard stepfather - to find eventual happiness and fulfilment.
1 Jun 2009
Roger and Yvonne are in India for the next month, then in the UK for July and August.
20 May 2009
We have just published our second printing of David A Seamands classic Healing for Damaged Emotions. The book is proving very popular in Turkey and the first printing had run out.
7 May 2009
We have just received funding to publish four new titles - see our Forthcoming Titles page for details of all titles scheduled for publication during 2009/10. Titles already published are on the Recent Titles page.
6 May 2009
We have just published the famous C S Lewis title Mere Christianity. Several other books are in printing and nearing publication.
18 Apr 2009
Please pray for the Christian believers in Turkey on this the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the three Christians (two Turks and one German) in Malatya on 18 April 2007. If you missed the day, please pray anyway - God is not fussed about dates! The events in Malatya on that day, and the continuing, if halting, progress of justice in the case, has had a great impact on Christian awareness in Turkey. View the very moving memorial video that has been posted on the Google Video website - opens in a new window.
12 Apr 2009
Good progress is being made on a range of titles for publication. No less than eight are under way at the moment, with Mere Christianity by C S Lewis now being printed.
2 Apr 2009
Haberci has just published yet another title for an organisation in Turkey: John Owen's Christians Are For Ever. John Owen (1618-1683) was an English Puritan theologian. As well as being a prolific writer he was Chaplain to Oliver Cromwell and a reforming Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.
19 Mar 2009
We have just received the final amount of funding we need to publish Mark D Roberts' excellent little book Can We Trust The Gospels?. Work will start immediately on translation and publication.
11 Mar 2009
Roger and Yvonne Malstead are now in Turkey until the end of May.
22 Feb 2009
Haberci has just published another title for an organisation in Turkey: Joseph Alleine's Wake Up And Live!. Joseph Alleine was a Puritan non-conformist preacher who lived from 1634 to 1668. His classic work explaining the faith has been translated into many languages and published continuously over the last four centuries.
16 Feb 2009
We have just received part of the funding we need to publish Mark D Roberts' excellent little book Can We Trust The Gospels?.
11 Feb 2009
Haberci continue to expand its activities for other organisations - the latest publication being The Daily Way: 365 Daily Devotions by Michael Youssef.
7 Feb 2009
We have just published Alister and Joanna McGrath's book The Dawkins Delusion.
26 Jan 2009
Work has commenced on the translation and publication of the IVP Bible Speaks Today series commentary on Exodus by A Motyer and Revolutionary Forgiveness by Eric E Wright.
20 Jan 2009
Our latest newsletter has just been issued - opens in a new window.
12 Jan 2009
We have just published for Hasat the D A Carson and Douglas J Moo 700-page book An Introduction to the New Testament. Hasat is the Turkish equivalent of Theological Education by Extension, and runs in-depth courses for all in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya.
8 Jan 2009
Roger and Yvonne Malstead are now in the United Kingdom for two months.
