SAT-7 TÜRK is the first and only Christian channel on the government-regulated Türksat 4A satellite, it was reported in February.
‘We are overwhelmed and truly believe it is a miracle that we can finally broadcast on Türksat. We have hoped, dreamed and prayerfully anticipated this launch since the station began airing on SAT-7 ARABIC in 2006. It is really a miracle and we are very thankful to God for what he has been doing’, said Melih Ekener, executive director of SAT-7 TÜRK.
It is a huge step forward. Until now, SAT-7 TÜRK had only shared satellite time on other SAT-7 channels and, more recently, broadcast 24/7 on the internet, reaching a quite limited audience.
Most popular
‘Türksat 4A is the most popular satellite with the largest audience in Turkey, reaching more than 50 million viewers and wider audiences in Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East. We are ready for this launch even though, at this point, we only have a total staff of 20 people. We will make it!’ said Ekener.
Most programmes are produced in the SAT-7 TÜRK studios in Istanbul. ‘We make programmes that respect and cherish the cultural values of the country, and enable the world to see an often missing colour in our perceptions of the country. This would not have been possible without the Turkish authorities taking the time and interest to engage with Christians and accept our applications, granting us a frequency on the official state satellite. We praise God for this moment. We rejoice in the decision of the Turkish authorities and join all Turkish Christians in giving thanks for this historic development.’ Christianity has deep roots in Turkey’s history. Unfortunately, this is often overlooked and many people have been fed misinformation and carry misperceptions about Christ, Christianity and its important influence in early Turkish history.
Disturbing news and great things
‘We are very excited about this new opportunity to broadcast to a much wider segment of the Turkish speaking community. For those who do not know the context and history of Turkey, this might not come across as a historic moment, but it really is. There are now only around 150,000 Christians in Turkey, and a television channel that is produced by them, serving their own communities and airing programmes about the significant Christian heritage of the country would not have been possible a decade ago. This shows how much Turkey has changed: even in the midst of often disturbing news that we read about Turkey, there are some great things going on’, said Melih Ekener.
