H.H Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas in talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on the Mor Gabriel Monastery Land Dispute

Ankara 30th March 2011: His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, The Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch was accompanied by Mor Gregorius Yohanna Ibrahim Metropolitan of Aleppo, Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas Bishop of Tur Abdin and Midyat, Mor Philoxenos Yusuf Cetin Bishop of Istanbul and Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis Patriarchal Assistant on an official visit as a guest of the Turkish government. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, welcomed, in his residence in Ankara, His Holiness and the accompanied delegation of bishops and members of the Tur Abdin and Istanbul Church Council and the head of the legal team in charge of the Tur Abdin case. Also present at the meeting were the Turkish Secretary for the Environment whose office is responsible for Turkish Forestry, senior members of the Turkish civil servants representing different ministries involved in this case and members of the diplomatic corps. The talks took place pending the judicial proceedings in relation to the dispute of annexing land of Church Syrian Orthodox Church in the region of Tur Abdin South East Turkey. His Holiness highlighted the ancient history of the Syrian Orthodox and their coexistence in Turkey. His Holiness discussed the case of Tur Abdin and how after, two thousand years we are now witnessing sacreligious moves to annexe land and properties of the Monasteries of Mar Gabriel, a sacred monastery and an important spiritual centre and destination for pilgrims for the Syrian Orthodox (second to Jerusalem). His Holiness stressed that justice must take its course in the restoration of the rights of the Church. His Holiness assured the Prime Minster that the Church will not forsake its rights in its sacred places at any cost. Mr. Erdoğan highlighted his appreciation of the role and participations of the Syrian Orthodox in Turkey whose fingerprints are indelible in the history of Turkey. Mr Erdoğan told the Patriarch and his delegation that he will be following the case and will do his utmost to find a proper outcome to settle this dispute after the issuance of the court’s verdict. The meeting lasted for over an hour. It was agreed that the Patriarch and Prime Minster Erdoğan will meet again soon after the court verdict to follow up the disputed lands of St Gabriel’s Monastery. A report of the meeting appeared in the Turkish equivalent to the court circular and was widely covered by the Turkish media.
Source: alepposuryoye.com