There is a strong sense of nationalism in Türkiye today, which regards being a Muslim as necessary to being a loyal Turk. This puts considerable social pressure on Turkish Christians. Although Christianity has an extremely long history in the country, it is still seen as a negative Western influence, even by moderate Muslims and secular Turks who are proud of their national identity.  

Converts face strong pressure from their families to change their minds. They may be threatened with divorce, loss of inheritance and being disowned by their family. Foreign Christians with Turkish spouses and children have been banned from entering or re-entering the country. Religion is recorded on the Turkish ID card, making it easy to discriminate against Christian job applicants. Even Greek and Armenian Christians who attend traditional churches aren’t considered full members of Turkish society. Their churches struggle with legal obstacles and red tape intended to obstruct the practice of their faith.