Albania: Daily Reveals Turkish Plane Hijacker's Letter to Pope, Praying For Help

Tirana Gazeta Shqiptare in Albanian 04 Oct 06 p 3

[Unattributed report: "Letter Addressed to Pope From Tirana"]


"Dear Pope, I am called Hakan Ekinci. I am a Christian and do not want to do military service in a Muslim army. I ask you, as the head of Christians, to help me.

"I go to church ever since 1998 and have found the right path in Jesus. As is known, Turkey forces immigrants to convert to Muslims and my family was forced to take on the Turkish identity.

"When I was born in 1978, I had the word 'Muslim' written in my documents without being asked. In the schools of the Turkish Republic, everybody is forced to learn the Islamic ethics and the tenets of the Islamic faith, because the teaching of no other religion is allowed. While I was a student in Izmir, my teachers often punished me for my lack of interest in religious lessons. With the assistance of a friend of mine, I started going to church in Izmir. In 1999, I was baptized and became a Christian. In the past, my Macedonian forefathers were forced to change their faith under the threat of the sword. In my country I had not the right to be a Christian, either. In 1998, I was called up. I had to comply and went to the army. Thanks to Jesus' help, after 18 days I was dismissed on health grounds. Unfortunately, the devil played a trick on me in the devil's country. Regardless of my protests, I had to do military service in a Muslim army. I did what I was not supposed to do and deserted. I resisted and struggled, tried to explain my situation to my commanders, but they did not listen to me and shut me up in jail. I have suffered great pain and suffering for being a Christian. In 2005, I succeeded in having myself released from the Gumussuyu military hospital on a six months' leave and fled abroad. I went to Albania, another Muslim country, in order to obtain a visa. This Muslim country, however, entertains good relations with Turkey and may extradite me to that country. Help me, Pope... [ellipsis as published throughout] I do not want to live in a Muslim country, nor can I breathe in a Muslim city. Only you, Holy Father, can save me. That is why I am addressing myself to you. I pray you to help me in the name of Christianity and of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I hope you will lend me a helping hand. I affectionately kiss your hands..."