Assyrian revival stirs in Turkey
"…we believe the future here will be better."
(Istanbul, Turkey)—"In a corner of 21st Century Turkey, a congregation still worships in the language of Christ. At an early morning Sunday church service, chanting in Aramaic fills the air together with the sweet scent of incense.
"Men pray standing, their palms open to heaven. Most of the women are behind a wooden lattice at the back, their heads covered in scarves. These people are Assyrians and the region they know as Tur Abdin was once the heartland of their ancient Christian church." So wrote Sarah Rainsford in a story for BBC News.
She said that at the turn of the last century an estimated 200,000 Assyrians still lived here. Today there are fewer than 3,000 left. But recently, there have been signs of a possible revival.
Homecoming
She went on to say, "Two decades ago, the Assyrians were caught up in the Kurdish conflict here. Unwilling to side with the insurgents or Turkish troops, Aziz, his neighbors and thousands like them fled to Europe. Their abandoned homes crumbled to ruin.
"It was just the latest Assyrian exodus from the region. Many had fled nationalist oppression before or left to seek economic opportunity." But, said Rainsford, now Aziz and 10 other families have come back.
"It was our dream to return to the land of our ancestors. We had so many comforts in Europe but something was always missing," Aziz says. "We also want to prove to other Assyrians that it is possible to return and be settled here."….
Looking ahead
The Assyrians say Turkey's accession talks with the EU also convinced them to return, said Rainsford. "We lived through many difficulties here but Turkey is more concerned with human rights now—it is more democratic," believes Yakup Demir.
"That is why we came back, because we believe the future here will be better."
Read more about the return of Assyrians to Turkey at the link provided.
