On May 1–2, 2026, Kayseri Church received numerous threatening calls, including 15 calls on May 2 alone. The same individual had threatened churches in multiple Turkish cities, claiming they would set buildings on fire with petrol and kill pastors.
Between May 1 and 2, Kayseri Church was repeatedly targeted with threatening telephone calls. On May 2 alone, the church received 15 calls. Upon investigation, authorities discovered that the caller had also targeted churches in other cities across Türkiye, including İstanbul, Yalova, and Balıkesir.
During the calls, the individual explicitly threatened to pour petrol on church buildings and set them alight and to kill the pastors. Security forces located the suspect.
Source: Human Rights Violation Report, Association of Protestant Churches, 25.03.2026