SYRIACS SHOULD NOT BECOME AN INSTRUMENT OF ARMENIAN INTRIGUES

Durimg the last week of April, a small group participated to demonstrations of "genocide protests" in various European countries together with some Armenian organizations. This group identified itself as "Assyrian-Syriac" and called itself "Mesopotamia Freedom Party" (GHB). This group, which symphatizes the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK, has revealed with this participation that it does not serve Assyrian interests.

Who have massacred the Assyrians? First of all this fact should be known. Unfortunately, these circles claiming to be "Assyrian-Syriac" go around hand in hand with the grandchildren of the Kurdish lords who are the actual killers of their grandfathers. Is this a contradiction or not? Can historical facts be forgotten?

It cannot be ignored that between 1820-1920 thousands of Christians had been killed and tens of churches had been plundered and burnt down when the Kurds conducted massacres against the Assyrians and Syriacs. Just to give an example, archives have proven that Bedir Han, the Kurdish Emeer of Cizre, has massacred in the 1840's more than 10.000 Christian Assyrians and Syriacs.

Hori Suleyman Hinno, the priest of the Syriac Church in the Syrian town Kuburelbith, has written a book published in Greece in 1993 under the title of "The Massacre of the Farman Tur-Abdinli Syriacs in 1914-1915". This book describes in detail how the Kurds massacred the Syriacs living in approximately one hundred settlement areas administratively connected to Mardin.

Thus, instead of condemning the actual killers, this "Assyrian-Syriac" group is being deceived by the Armenians and is attempting to find the responsible people. This means nothing more than concealing the truth.

It is known for a long time that the Armenians with their claims of genocide are in an effort to channel the Syriacs in Europe against Turkey. They have been successful in this only partially. It is very grievous that some Assyrian and Syriac young people have become an instrument of Armenian intrigues. This situation has deeply hurt the Syriacs living in Turkey and in the Middle Eastern countries.

Within this framework we quote part of an Arabic article published in Beirut in a weekly entitled Ash-Shiraa with the signature of the Beirut (Cebel-i Lebanon) Syriac Archbishop George Saliba:

"When the Turkish Republic was established, the Syriacs presented their loyalty and support to the state and expressed their satisfaction like other people and were happy with this. The then Syriac Patriarch İlyas Shakir III had revealed the loyalty of the Syriacs to the Turkish Republic and Ataturk had given instructions to protect the Syriac church. Since that time all the Syriacs, not only in Turkey but everywhere, were beloved in accordance with the principles set forward by Ataturk.

We hear that nowadays certain individuals, institutions, associations and some persons associated with radical groups bring about various opinions and comments.

Here I would like to express that the Orthodox Syriac Church shall preserve its loyalty to and appreciation for the Turkish Republic. The Turkish State has nothing to do with the genocide conducted in the past.

To state within this context, Ataturk has said "The Syriacs are virtuous people". In accordance with this saying the Orthodox Syriac Church is still respected in Turkey especially by the President and the Prime Minister and by the embassies abroad. Thanks to God, the Syriac people are extremely loyal to their state and show their love first to God and then to the territorry they live on.

An evidence of this is the unforgettable hospitality shown to us as secular clergymen by the Turkish authorities during the several visits we paid to Turkey especially during the recent visit paid to Antakya on 1-2 April 2000. We owe the Turkish Government, the military authorities and the people sincere thankfulness for the hospitality and respect they have shown to us.

Here I would like to express especially the following aspect:
The Orthodox Church does not accept any statement or idea on behalf of the Syriac unless it has been signed and approved by the first supreme Patriach Mar Agnatyus who officially represents the Syriacs all over the world." (Ash-Shiraa Weekly, June 19 2000).

As has been said by the Beirut Syriac Archbishop George Saliba, the Syriacs do not have any problem with the Turkish Republic. The intrigues of some political opportunist groups in Europe who use the name of the Syriacs, do not provide any profit to the Syriac people. We condemn them.

In Turkey, nice developments occur in favour of the Syriacs. As might be recalled Prime Minister Bulent ECEVİT has stated in a recent circular that the Syriacs who had to move from their homes due to PKK terrorism could return to their villages.

Yet, in case the Bill on Foundations prepared by the General Directorate of Foundations and submitted to the Cabinet will be accepted and become a law then the Syriacs will benefit from various rights just like the Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities. The new Foundation Act includes important clauses in favour of the Syriacs.

The Syriacs live in Turkey comfortably and preserve their religion, language and culture in an environment of peace and tolerance.

Mesopotamia Democratic Forum