Tür​​​​​​​kiye: Bursa church ordered to evacuate

In July 2024, the Regional Directorate of Foundations ordered the evacuation of the “French Church” in Bursa before 24 August, claiming that the historical building is structurally unsafe as the groundwater level is very high and a reinforcement project must be implemented. No alternative meeting places were proposed and the request for the church to erect a tent for meetings was refused (barring special religious holidays). Bursa used to have more than 100 functioning churches, but today, the French Church is the only church open for Christian worship there.

Representatives of the church, in collaboration with a certified office of the Chamber of Geological Engineers, prepared a report, assessing the risks as considerably lower than claimed by the Directorate of Foundations, noting that during thorough structural examinations and restoration work from 2002 to 2004, no significant problems were revealed, and repairs had been made to any superficial cracks.

In a 20 August press statement, the Bursa Protestant Church Life and Culture Foundation petitioned the authorities to have the evacuation order cancelled. In an interview with local television, the Protestant pastor, Ismail Kulakcioglu, asked why the evacuation order had to begin with the church, and he requested that a committee of experts be established to examine the situation from a scientific perspective.

In 2016 the church had faced closure after Bursa Metropolitan Municipality had written to the Regional Directorate of Foundations and requested that “allocation of this building for worship be terminated.” However, that order was cancelled and the church continued to be used for worship.

The “French Church” was built in the late nineteenth century by French traders and restored in 2002-2004. It is used as a regular meeting place of worship by the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant communities.