"Great Joy" as Turkey Returns Confiscated Syriac Church Property Deeds

Barbara G. Baker : Jun 1, 2018
Christian Headlines

"These returned deeds have created great joy here among the Syriac Christians in Mardin and those who live abroad. At the same time, this also means the return of our minority rights, as birthed in the Lausanne Treaty." -Kuryakos Ergün, chairman of the Mor Gabriel Foundation

(Turkey)— [ChristianHeadlines.com] Syriac Orthodox Christians have welcomed the Turkish government's return of 55 title deeds, representing nearly half of their ancient church properties in southeast Turkey, which had been confiscated by the state in recent years. (Photo: Church in Turkey/Facebook/via Christian Headlines)

Fifty of the official property deeds were delivered to the Syriacs' 4th century Mor Gabriel Monastery near Midyat, in Mardin province, on 22 May. The disputed documents were received in person by Archbishop Timotheos Samuel Aktaş, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Tur Abdin, and Kuryakos Ergün, chairman of the Mor Gabriel Foundation. An additional five title deeds were returned to another Syriac Christian foundation in Mardin.

The turnover of Syriac community deeds resulted from...

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