LDS missionaries pulled from Turkey over political unrest

Political unrest in Turkey has led the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pull church members serving missions there and reassign them to other countries.

LDS church spokesman Daniel Woodruff said Sunday in a statement that 20 young men, 4 young women and 5 senior couples will be temporarily reassigned to other regions in Europe, Asia and North America due to “a prolonged period of heightened political tensions” in Turkey.

Four others who are serving missions for the Church in Turkey will return home since they were close to finishing.

Like in Russia, Mormon missionaries in Turkey are known as “volunteers” due to the country’s laws and circumstances.

The church regularly reassigns or pulls out missionaries from countries where there’s unrest.

As was announced in February, the Bulgaria Sofia Mission was to be realigned with the Central Eurasian Mission. The combined missions will now be known as the Bulgaria/Central Eurasian Mission headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. The country of Turkey continues to be part of this mission.