In a momentous event, the Spiritual Leader of the Syriac Orthodox Community in Istanbul, Yusuf Çetin, expressed his jubilation at the opening of Republic of Türkiye's inaugural Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church. Çetin hailed Türkiye as a model of democracy and interfaith harmony, heralding the newfound freedom for the Syriac community to practice their beliefs in their own church.
The St. Ephrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church, a historic milestone for the Syriac community, was officially opened on Oct. 8 in a ceremony graced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Reflecting on this monumental achievement, Çetin exclaimed, "For decades, we worshiped in churches of other communities, but now, we can proudly call this church our own and freely practice our faith."
He also commended the state's dedication to the well-being of minority communities, emphasizing on the hope that other nations in the Middle East would draw inspiration from Türkiye's example.
"This is a first in the history of the Republic," noted Çetin, "Our church was opened first by God's great grace and then by the will of our President." The Syriac community's pursuit of their own church began in 2010, with Erdoğan's sincere support culminating in the historic groundbreaking ceremony, a testimony to the President's dedication to the rights of the community.
Çetin added, "As a community, we believed in him and trusted his sincerity. He honored not only Assyrians in Türkiye but also diaspora Assyrians. Our church has a history of 2,000 years." The opening ceremony saw religious representatives from around the world uniting to celebrate this remarkable event.
Çetin also vehemently condemned inhumane attacks on religious symbols and values, emphasizing on the importance of respecting spiritual beliefs as an essential component of preserving global harmony and peace.
He stressed, "Countries should adopt the necessary measures to end such provocative actions. I hope that such actions that will put world peace in trouble will end as soon as possible."
The Syriac community, with a rich history dating back 5,500 years in the Middle East, celebrated this momentous event with joy and pride. Messages of congratulations and support poured in from community members worldwide, acknowledging the significance of this occasion.
Furthermore, he marked the alignment of this event with the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, honoring its founder, Gazi Mustafa Kemal and expressing his hopes for lasting peace in the world.
Regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, Çetin offered an emotional plea for the cessation of hostilities, emphasizing on shared human values that should unite people and advocating for world leaders to work diligently toward peace in the region.
He remarked, "The Middle East is boiling; it has turned into a flame of fire. I pray that the rulers of other countries will also pour water to extinguish this fire."
Çetin concluded by highlighting the sacred significance of Jerusalem for three heavenly religions and urging unity and love among all people, transcending political boundaries and differences. His heartfelt prayer echoed a universal hope for ending the turmoil and loss of life in the Middle East.
