An assassination plot by the ultra-nationalist group Ergenekon to kill the IN Network Turkey director, as reported earlier in March. Since then, the government has stepped up measures to protect him.

Rody Rodeheaver with IN Network says, "Our staff person continues to have a bodyguard that goes with him everywhere. And there are other types of surveillance that the police are using to protect both him and his family."

Ergenekon is a group whose sole purpose is to prevent the government from entering into the European Union. The Turkish government applied for entrance in 1987 and became a candidate country in 1999. This terrorist group wants to prevent this process from going any further.

Rodeheaver states that the group hatched the assassination plot "in order to embarrass the Turkish government and impede their entry into the European Union."

While the government historically has been slow to bring justice, this case seems to have prompted more action on their part.

According to Rodeheaver, "This terrorist organization has been spotlighted by the government, and various members of that group have been arrested. Those members are in various levels of society, all the way from retired army generals to professors in universities to just the average person on the street."

With all the tension and persecution Christians receive in Turkey, this latest incident has members of IN Network a little on edge. The emotional toll on team members will not stop their ministry, but it does have an effect.

"You always have to ask the question, ‘What will happen if…?'" says Rodeheaver. "And being a Christian, I think that puts an extra edge on ministry and everything you do. They will continue to do their ministry, but the emotional impact of this can't be denied."

It makes for a confusing situation, since the government says they are committed to religious diversity. But the overarching mindset of society is this: if you are a Turk, then you are a Muslim. Rodeheaver states that Turks who go on to say they are Christians are often treated with suspicion and are seen as a threat. Unfortunately, often that suspicion turns into persecution.

Please pray that the threats on the director's life would leave. Pray for justice in the government as they handle cases of persecution in the church.

IN Network's mission to proclaim the name of Christ to the people of Turkey will not stop. If anything, the church grows and flourishes in times of trial and fire. And when the Gospel is being shared, not even threats or persecution or death itself can stop faithful followers of Christ.

They join a larger roundup of 20 suspects taken into custody
on March 17 for their roles in the murders of three Christians: Necati Aydin, Ugur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske.

The arrests were part of a large-scale, nine-province
operation to bring down the masterminds of the slayings. But the sinister nature of the plot went to
the highest levels of the Turkish government.

Investigating authorities say the suspects were part of a
clandestine ultra-nationalist group called Ergenekon, whose sole aim was to
discredit and destabilize the government before the European Union.  

Rody Rodeheaver with IN Network confirms this. "The aim of this group is to embarrass the
government of Turkey to the degree that they will not be accepted by the
EU. So, the killings in Malatya in 2007 and several subsequent issues were perpetrated to take the process off-track."

The group is also targeting high-profile Christians as part
of its chaos campaign. Rodeheaver says,
"An assassination plot has been uncovered on our director in Turkey."

Rodeheaver goes on to say that "the government has him on what they
call a VIP list of people who have high visibility and need to be
protected. There was an informant inside
of the Ergenekon organization who got word of this plot and revealed it to the
prosecutor's office and the police."

Last week, their director met with the anti-terrorism task
force responsible for the raids that netted the plot's architects. The government is presenting a strong show of
force in light of Ergenekon's efforts. In fact, a newspaper article about the plot revealed not only the
director's full name, but also his address.

Rodeheaver says their director was assigned a full-time
bodyguard. It's a government effort to
show that they are capable of protecting their citizens, they are listening to their
people, and they are not intimidated by the terrorists.  

There's been a rise in threats against believers, and
Rodeheaver says it as gotten so bad that their team members are ready to die
when they walk outside. "The people who
are part of the church in Turkey are very courageous and have a heart to see
Jesus be lifted up and the Gospel be proclaimed. It's our prayer that all of
the people who are there to proclaim the love of Christ will be strengthened by
this."

The next Malatya hearing is scheduled for April 29.