The Last Greeks of Turkey

The Syriac community in Turkey: The Syriac community in Turkey, also known as Assyrians or Syriac Christians, is an ancient ethnic and religious minority primarily associated with the Syriac Orthodox Church, along with other denominations such as the Chaldean Catholic Church…

© ARTE.tv 06/08/2024

… and the Assyrian Church of the East. They are indigenous to southeastern Turkey, particularly the Tur Abdin region, but today most live in Istanbul and some other urban centers.

Historically, the Syriac community was concentrated in southeastern Turkey, especially in Tur Abdin, a mountainous region known as a traditional homeland for Syriac Christians. Before the early 20th century, their population in Turkey was estimated around 300,000. The community suffered greatly during the Sayfo (Assyrian Genocide) during World War I, when many were massacred or forced to flee to neighboring countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. The Syriac Orthodox patriarchate was expelled from Turkey in 1924. After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, Syriacs faced ongoing discrimination, including anti-Christian campaigns, property confiscations, and harassment, which led to significant emigration, especially during the mid-20th century and the Kurdish insurgencies in the 1980s. Today, the Syriac population in Turkey is estimated at around 25,000 to 28,000 people, with the majority residing in Istanbul (about 12,000–18,000), and a small community of 2,000–3,000 remaining in Tur Abdin scattered across about 30 villages. Other smaller groups exist in cities like Diyarbakir, Mardin, and Ankara.

The Syriac community is predominantly Syriac Orthodox, who use the Aramaic language (the language of Jesus) in their liturgy, preserving a unique Mesopotamian Christian heritage. The second largest group is the Chaldean Catholic Church, with approximately 7,000–8,000 members mainly in southeastern provinces and Istanbul. Historically, the Assyrian Church of the East was also significant, especially in the Hakkari mountains, but its presence has diminished. The community maintains a rich religious and cultural tradition, including ancient liturgies, unique language use, and strong ties to their historical homeland.

© DW News 26/04/2012

In October 2020, the Syriac Orthodox community inaugurated Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church in Istanbul, the first new church built in Turkey since 1923, marking a significant cultural milestone. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the inauguration, highlighting the event as a symbol of religious freedom and tolerance, despite ongoing challenges faced by Christians in Turkey. Despite this progress, Syriacs in Turkey continue to face social and political challenges, including discrimination, property rights issues, and a sense of marginalization as a small religious minority in a predominantly Muslim country. The Turkish government has made some gestures toward the community, such as inviting Syriacs to return and restoring some church properties, but restrictive land laws and bureaucratic obstacles remain significant barriers to full restoration and growth of the community. The Syriac community’s survival is also supported by diaspora members who maintain cultural and religious ties, and some have returned to Tur Abdin villages from Europe in recent years.

They have endured genocide, persecution, and emigration but continue to preserve their unique religious and cultural identity, with Istanbul now serving as their main center in Turkey. The recent inauguration of a new church symbolizes hope for greater recognition and religious freedom, even as challenges persist.