The Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, the country's parliament. Photo credit and rights: Photo by Makril – Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Turkish MP George Aslan Calls for Return of Confiscated Churches and Monasteries to Their Legal Owners
During discussions on the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s 2027 budget, Aslan highlighted the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate building in Mardin and the Monastery of Mar Quryakos in Batman, calling for the protection of the religious and historical heritage of all communities and accountability for hate crimes and attacks on religious sites.
Ishtar TV – Turkey
Turkish Member of Parliament George Aslan has called for the return of confiscated churches, monasteries and historical properties to their rightful owners, criticizing what he described as unequal treatment of the religious and cultural heritage of the peoples who have lived in the region for centuries, particularly Syriacs, Armenians and Greeks.
Aslan made the remarks during a meeting of the Turkish Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee on Friday, November 6, 2026, while discussing the 2027 budget of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. His address focused on the rights of religious foundations, the protection of churches, monasteries and historic cemeteries, and growing concerns over attacks and hate speech targeting different religious and ethnic communities.
According to the published transcript of his parliamentary address, Aslan argued that discrimination based on religion, belief, ethnicity and identity remains a concern in Turkey, with Christians, Alevis and Yazidis among the communities facing various forms of discrimination.
Syriac Catholic Patriarchate Building in Mardin
Aslan drew particular attention to the former Syriac Catholic Patriarchate building in central Mardin, which is currently known as the Mardin Museum. He stated that the building belonged to the Syriac Catholic Foundation until 1989, when it was converted into a museum.
He noted that discussions took place in early 2026 about returning the building to the Syriac Catholic Foundation, but the handover had not been completed by the time of his parliamentary address. He therefore called for the building to be returned to the foundation to which it originally belonged.
Monastery of Mar Quryakos in Batman
The MP also addressed the situation of the Monastery of Mar Quryakos in Beşiri district of Batman province. He said restoration work was underway at the site, but that it had not yet been returned to its Syriac foundation.
Aslan stressed that the protection of religious heritage should go beyond restoring historic buildings and should also include addressing ownership issues and returning properties to their rightful religious foundations.
Other Historic Churches and Cemeteries
Aslan raised concerns about several other religious and historical sites, including the Church of Mar Yuhanna in Artuklu district of Mardin. He said that an individual claiming ownership of the church had advertised it for sale on online platforms.
He also referred to the Church of the Virgin Mary in İdil district of Şırnak province, stating that an administrative fine of 1.2 million Turkish lira had been imposed on the church’s guesthouse. According to his remarks, a court subsequently issued a temporary stay of execution regarding the fine.
The MP further raised the issue of Armenian cemeteries, referring to one in central Ankara, where he said construction had taken place on cemetery land by the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ), as well as another Armenian cemetery in the Zir Valley area of Sincan.
Criticism of Cultural Policy
Addressing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s budget, Aslan criticized what he described as the insufficient recognition of Turkey’s diverse historical, cultural and religious heritage.
He said the minister’s presentation repeatedly emphasized Turkish identity without adequately acknowledging the cultural heritage of other peoples who have historically lived in the region, including Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, Syriacs, Laz, Circassians, Arabs and Jews.
Aslan questioned why churches and monasteries were not treated as an integral part of the country's historical heritage, arguing that the protection of religious sites should apply equally to all communities.
He emphasized that Turkey’s historical and cultural heritage is not limited to one people or religion, but reflects the civilizations and communities that have inhabited the region over many centuries.
Warning Against Hate Crimes and Attacks on Religious Sites
Another major part of Aslan’s address focused on hate crimes and attacks targeting places of worship, sacred sites, cemeteries and religious symbols.
He referred to the attack on the Düzgün Baba site, an important centre of Alevi faith in Dersim, as well as the attack on the Armenian Surp Karabet Cemetery in the Bağlarbaşı area of Istanbul.
He also raised concerns about hate speech targeting Jewish citizens in Turkey and referred to an incident involving Claudia Medina Halfon, an Israeli-Turkish citizen who was reportedly subjected to verbal harassment and collective targeting in Istanbul during the previous month.
Aslan also cited the sixth monitoring report issued in 2025 by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), part of the Council of Europe, which he said highlighted growing hate speech and discriminatory practices in Turkey affecting communities including Alevis, Christians, Kurds, refugees, migrants and Roma.
Call for Equal Rights and Accountability
Concluding his address, Aslan called for stronger legal measures to combat hate crimes, effective implementation of existing legislation and accountability for those responsible for attacks.
He stressed that protecting the rights of different religious and cultural communities is essential to ensuring equality and safeguarding social coexistence.
His remarks have once again brought the issue of confiscated religious properties and historic churches and monasteries before the Turkish Parliament, highlighting the demands of Syriac, Armenian and Greek communities for the protection of their religious and cultural heritage and the restoration of their rights over historic properties.
*George Aslan’s address to the Turkish Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee, November 6, 2026.
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