Turkish Christians in new torture fear following murders
Christians in Turkey have today expressed fear that growing nationalism and intolerance could lead to more violence against them.
The recent murder of three Christians in the eastern Turkey town of Malatya has highlighted Turkey's uneasy relationship with its minorities.
Police detained five more suspects yesterday in the attack at a Christian publishing house that distributes bibles.
Some reportedly said they carried out the killings to protect Islam.
The three victims - a German man and two Turks who converted to Christianity - were found a day earlier with their hands and legs tied and their throats slit.
Their faces were bruised, and the ropes had cut into their wrists.
Today, the Hurriyet newspaper reported that at least one victim was stabbed many times.
"There were so many stab wounds that we couldn't count them," Hurriyet quoted Dr Murat Ugras as saying.
"It was clearly torture."
Christian leaders said they worried that nationalists were stoking hostilities against non-Turks and non-Muslims by exploiting growing uncertainty over Turkey's place in the world.
