A CHURCH IS BEING ALLOCATED TO THE SYRIACS

The President of the Turkish Republic Sezer requested an allocation of a church to the Syriacs from Prime Minister Ecevit.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has never requested anything personal from Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit since the day he moved to the Cankaya Residence until the day he presented a "letter of request" to Ecevit last week.

Sezer sent a personal message to the Prime Minister. In the message Sezer requested an allocation of a private church in Istanbul to the Syriacs In the note which Ecevit assigned to the Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan and which Ozkan assigned to the Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry, Sezer talked about his meeting with the Syriac Archbishop Samuel Aktas at the Deyrulzafaran Monastery during his visit to Mardin and requested an allocation of a particular church to the Syriacs in Istanbul if it was possible.

After receiving this request Ecevit took it upon himself and said "Do what it needs to be done. If there aren't any appropriate churches just transform a building into a church".

(Milliyet, June 09th 2001).