PROF. KHEILCI, SYRIAC LINGUIST:

"ANCIENT TURKISH AND SYRIAC ALPHABETS ARE IDENTICAL"

Ibrahim KHEILCI, Professor of Syriac Language, residing in the city of Aleppo, Syria and being one of the notables of Syriac society, said in his statement during a visit to Deyrulumur Monastery in Midyat/Mardin that "Ancient Turkish and Syriac alphabets are identical to a great extent".

Prof. Ibrahim KHEILCI, during the visit of Mark PARRIS, USA Ambassador to Ankara and the accompanying delegation to Midyat Deyrulumur Monastery, gave detailed information on Syriac language and culture to the press members.

Noting the similarities between Ancient Central Asia Turkish and Syriac alphabets, Prof. Ibrahim KHEILCI explained that some sample of scripts belonging to ancient Turkish civilizations had been sent to him by a Chinese linguist in 1999 and as a result of his studies on these, he had discovered that ancient Turkish (Uygur) and Syriac alphabets had great similarities in their structures.

Prof. KHEILCI stated that as a consequence of the researches he made on historical resources to follow up above mentioned discovery, he found out that Syriac had developed their relations with Turks as they were trying to spread Christianity among the Turkish tribes in Central Asia, and that Turkish and Syriac cultures had been affected by each other. Prof. KHEILCI addet that in his opinion, the similarity of the alphabets was a result of this interaction, and that these ideas of his received a great deal of approval among Syriac society.

Saying that he has been striving to prevent the disappearance of Syriac language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world, Prof. KHEILCI added that Turkish State should support them with this matter.

Prof. Ibrahim KHEILCI, aged 77, is known with his conferences he gave on Syriac language and culture in USA and various European countries.