SYRIACS OFFERED LAND ALREADY BELONG TO OTHER MINORITIES
Hurriyet
July 14 2012
Turkey
This file photo shows Mor Gabriel Syriac church in Mardin.
ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioglu
Controversy has risen over plots of land that Turkey’s Syriac community
has claimed were offered to them for the establishment of their first
church in Istanbul. Two alternative spaces also offered to the Syriac
community by the Istanbul municipality belong to the Armenian and
Greek foundations respectively, it has emerged.
One of the land plots offered is allegedly a historical cemetery
belonging to the Armenian community and the only property belonging
to the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation in Istanbul’s YeÅ~_ilköy
district.
The other piece of land belongs to the Greek Hagios Stephanos
Foundation.
The land options were proposed to the Syriac community 10 days ago,
according to K.H., one of the leading figures of the Syrian community.
“They present us lands belonging to other minority communities,” K.H
said. “They aim to create polemics by giving us land which belongs
to another minority community. This is a scandal in its true sense.”
Officials from the Surp Stephanos Church Foundation expressed
disapproval at the municipality’s recent offering. “This is the
only property belonging to our foundation. We have difficulties
in meeting our needs, so how could we give this land to someone
else?” Arev Cebeci, one of the administrators of YeÅ~_ilköy Surp
Stephanos Church Foundation, said.
The Surp Stephanos Church Foundation is currently involved in a legal
case against the municipality over the return of property. “Just
after the approval of the new foundation law to return properties,
we opened a legal case against the municipality and won. However, the
Metropolitan Municipality brought the case to the Court of Appeal. We
believe that the court’s decision will be in our favor,” Cebeci said.
The foundation would consider releasing the land on only one condition,
Cebeci said. “If the Syriac community wants to buy the land, we could
consider delivering it.”
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality refused to comment on questions
from the Hurriyet Daily News.
“As an individual, I believe in the importance of cooperation between
the different minority groups in Turkey,” said Greek-origin Laki
Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the Foundations
Directorate General.
“The Syriacs have been struggling to establish their own church for a
long time. Their struggle should be supported, but I insist on the fact
that my individual opinion does not interest my community,” he said.