Author: Liana Toganian

DIYARBAKIR, Turkiye

Turkiye on Saturday officially reopened a 16th-century Armenian church that had been damaged by terrorists before restoration by the Turkish government.

Saying that everyone “shares the excitement” of the renovated Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told the opening ceremony that services will start tomorrow “and that this structure, which has been the target of terrorism, will be reopened for worship.”

The historic church in Diyarbakir’s Sur district was damaged by PKK terrorist attacks in 2015 and was restored with funds provided by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry under the coordination of Turkiye’s Foundations General Directorate.

Various cultures and faiths live together in peace and worship freely in Diyarbakir, which is home to many priceless structures, said Ersoy, including the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches.

“Unfortunately, these two structures, which are among the important treasures of our cultural heritage, were targeted and destroyed by terror groups, who wanted to cast a shadow over the peace and tranquility of the city in recent years,” he explained.

“We believe that the places of worship all over Anatolia are signs of respect and fellowship among us.”

Symbol of good relations between Armenians, Turks, Kurds

The church, the largest Armenian Gregorian church in the Middle East, is known not only by citizens of the city but also worldwide, Ersoy said, adding that restoration of the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches cost approximately 32 million Turkish liras ($2.14 million)

Sahak Mashalian, the patriarch of Turkish Armenians, called the opening of the church a lifeline for Diyarbakir’s Christian population, which has been on the decline.

“It contains an important and meaningful message of friendship for the Armenian world in terms of the development of Turkish-Armenian relations,” he said.

“There are so many bright and positive events and experiences to be emphasized in the thousand-year-old Turkish-Armenian relations that we believe should be highlighted with the bridges of friendship that must be established in the future.”

“We have to see this church, which was opened for worship, as a monument of good neighborly relations between Armenians, Turks, and Kurds, Christians and Muslims,” he added.

Turkiye has a sizeable Armenian minority population, and normalization talks started earlier this year between Turkiye and neighboring Armenia.

Ergun Ayik, head of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation, said the group worked for the renovation of this church under the leadership of the Diyarbakir Governorship and the support of Turkiye’s Foundations General Directorate.

Stating that the restoration was completed with sensitive and meticulous work, Ayik added: “We hope to preserve this church forever with the support of our community, state, and regional actors.”

After a seven-year hiatus at the church, the bell was rung, a blessing rite was performed, candles were lit, and prayers performed.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia has submitted a six-point proposal to Azerbaijan, which according to Armenia’s National Security chief, Baku has agreed to discuss.

Armen Grigoryan told reporters on Thursday that Baku has not rejected the presumably new proposals submitted by Yerevan, saying that in his talks with a top Azerbaijani official this week, there were signals that Azerbaijan was ready to discuss these points, although he did not specify what they are but said that the document was in response to Baku’s five proposals, which include a demand for Armenia to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity—including Artsakh.

“Azerbaijan’s proposed points were not unacceptable for Armenia. With its six points Armenia proposed that there also should be a resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in order for comprehensive peace to be possible,” Grigoyan said.

When Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan met last month in Brussels they agreed to begin the process of drafting a “peace treaty,” based on which talks would take place. Charles Michel, the President of the Council of Europe, who mediated the April talks, said that the European Union was prepared to advance the talks between Yerevan and Baku.

“Our approach is that these two packages—“5+6 points”—should be merged together as a start of negotiations over a peace treaty in order to find a long-term solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Grigoryan said.

He reiterated Armenia’s position on prioritizing a solution to the security, defense and rights of Armenians living in Artsakh and that the status of Nagorno Karabakh should be developed in accordance.

“I haven’t seen a public rejection of this package [by Azerbaijan],” said Grigoryan. “There is an understanding in our discussions that these two packages should be joined and that negotiations should start. Both the Azerbaijani side and all other international partners have this understanding. Starting negotiations over the 5+6 points is a legitimate approach and we’ve seen that understanding,” Grigoryan said.

Grigoryan on Monday met with Aliyev’s chief advisor Himet Hajiyev in Brussels. The meeting was mediated by the EU’s Special Representative to the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar.

Armenia’s national security chief said that for Yerevan signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan meant that a settlement to the Karabakh conflict will also be found.

“We see the resolution to the conflict through ensuring security—the security of our compatriots living in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as ensuring rights,” said Grigoryan. “A status [for Artsakh] must be determined accordingly.”

“Guarantees of ensuring security will also be there, and at this moment we don’t know what kind of guarantees will exist from an institutional perspective, we will discuss this during negotiations and if we reach any decision and see that the security of our compatriots will definitely be ensured we will give consent to it,” Grigoryan said.

He emphasized that one of the issues will be discussed during the “peace talks” will be the recognition by Armenia and Azerbaijan of each other’s territorial integrity.

“Of course, we note that in 1992 Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other’s sovereign territories and sovereignty within the CIS, but you also know that other developments have taken place since then. Armenia and Azerbaijan continue recognizing each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” added Grigoryan.

He made the remarks in response to recent statements by Aliyev, who on Wednesday again addressed the “Zangezur Corridor,” his scheme to link mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan through Armenia.

“As for the Zangezur corridor, this corridor is already a reality,” Aliyev said. “The railway, the highway passing through the territory of Zangilan region, will not only connect the main part of Azerbaijan with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, but will also become a new route of international cargo transportation, it will be an international route.”

Grigoryan said statements such as the ones made by Aliyev do not contribute to a positive outcome of any talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the future.

Grigoryan also said on Thursday that a commission to delimit and demarcate the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not been established yet, adding, however, that discussion on the matter were ongoing.

“Discussions around this continue. Of course we hoped that it would be possible to find solutions and move forward by the end of April. But I can say that now intensive discussions continue and there is hope that a meeting could take place soon. The discussions are around the approaches regarding the working group, and there are questions on other matters as well and we haven’t found the final answers to them so far. As soon as we find the answers, there will be a public statement and a meeting will take place,” Grigoryan explained.