Pastor of German, Austrian community praises safe, diverse Istanbul

Last year's string of terror attacks may have overshadowed Turkey's reputation, but one Christian cleric says the country, the city of Istanbul in particular, is safe and a good place for the coexistence of faiths.

Alexander Jernej, who serves as pastor of a German and an Austrian church in Istanbul, spoke to Domradio, a radio station linked to the Catholic Church in Germany, about the state of Germans in Turkey at a time of rising tensions between Turkey and Germany.

Jernej says Istanbul, where he serves, is very exciting and interesting for the diverse communities it hosts, noting that it has been home to a large Christian community of German origin for generations.

"Kindness characterizes the coexistence of Muslims and Christians here. We have good relations. Muslims see us as partners," he says.

He added that he felt safe in Istanbul, a city where the Daesh and PKK terrorist groups carried out multiple bombings in the past two years. He said Turkish police provided protection for their churches.

The pastor also notes a rise in the number of Christians in Istanbul, partly due to the fact of a rise in migration from African and Asian countries, while the number of Levantines (Christians from families who lived under Ottoman Empire) decreased.