ISTANBUL, Turkey, Nov. 13 — Young Christians in Turkey can now read the Bible in their everyday language...
In October the Bible Society in Turkey published a new translation of the Old and New Testaments in modern Turkish. This translation replaces a 1941 version which young readers found awkward or difficult to read because it contains many Arabic words.
UBS/Rune Hansen
Finishing touches being applied to books at Redhouse Publishing House, Instanbul, which also prints Bibles.
|
Under the great 20th-century reform leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey changed in many ways. One change was from the use of Arabic characters to use of the same Roman alphabet common in European and English-speaking countries. By the 1970s, many young Turks could no longer understand Arabic. Realizing this need, the Bible Society in Turkey began a new translation in 1979.
The New Testament was finished in 1989 and received praise for its style. In a review, one journalist said that the translation "flows like music".
When the complete Bible was dedicated last month, one speaker said, "God is the great linguist - he speaks your language and he speaks mine, we translate the Bible so people can hear God speak in their own language".
"Despite a major interest in the war on terrorism, two newspapers published articles about the new translation", said Ameniel Bagdas Executive Secretary of the Bible Society in Turkey.
The new Bible will be most helpful to Orthodox Christians who make up most of Turkey's tiny Christian population. Christians number about 200,000 in a Muslim country of 67,000,000. The Bibles will be available both in Bible Society book stores and in some general book stores. Mr. Bagdas said that already many orders for the new Bible have come in.
Source: United Bible Societies
Editor's Footnote: In 1998 the authorities approved publication of a New Testament in Kurdish. This translation is offered to some of the ten million Kurds who are Turkey's largest minority group.
Mr. Bagdas said, "We work within the law, so we have nothing to fear. We inform the authorities about all our activities and have sent them copies of the Kurdish New Testament. We have even been permitted to send Kurdish Scriptures to Europe."
|
Windows Media
