A Canadian-American pastor who was recently detained and forced to leave the country of Turkey was hoping to return there today. 

David Byle volunteers with a Christian organization in Turkey, and over the last 19 years he's often run into trouble for preaching the Gospel.

Most recently Byle was detained after a routine identification check at a train station. Byle was taken to the anti-terror police department at the time, and he was interrogated extensively before being released, Miles Windsor of Middle East Concern told Mission Network News.

After a court ruling, Byle was given 15 days to leave the country, which he did. He returned to the United States, spending time with his mother in Washington state.

In a social media post on November 18, Byle asked for prayers as he prepared to travel back to Turkey.

"Please pray that I'll be allowed into Turkey when I fly to Istanbul, Lord willing, this Tuesday," he wrote.

"More than that, pray that I'll be given a residence permit in the upcoming months when I apply for it. We are also currently waiting for responses to Ulrike and some of our children's residence permit applications which are still pending."

However, upon arrival in Turkey on a flight from Germany, Byle was immediately taken to the airport police station.

"I'm stuck at the police station at the airport right now, waiting for them to tell me what they're going to do," Byle wrote when contacted by CHVN. 

45 minutes later he wrote back saying "They just informed me that I now have a permanent entry ban, and am being sent back to Germany, from where I came today."

While disappointed at the outcome, Byle said not all was lost by the attempt. "Having a great conversation here with a guy from Damascus, Syria," he wrote as he waited to return to his wife's family in Germany. Byle has said in the past that the best thing about continually being detained for sharing the Gospel, is that it provides even more opportunities to share the Gospel.

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