ANKARA

Despite a rising tide of racism and xenophobia across the globe, Turkey remains an exception with its democratic reforms and respect-based policies towards non-Muslim minorities in the country, particularly since the early 2000s. 

The latest example of Turkey’s positive approach in this regard was visible last Saturday, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Istanbul of St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church.

President Erdogan was proud that a new church would open and said it would add "new richness" to the cultural mosaic that is Turkey, a land that has been home to scores of civilizations throughout the course of history.

The church -- the first to be built since the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 -- is projected to be completed within two years and was greatly welcomed by the Syriac Christian community.

In recent years, the Turkish government has stepped up efforts to restore and open churches and synagogues and has achieved fruitful results, including many places of worship that have had their doors shut for over a century, according to presidential sources.

The Trabzon Sumela Monastery, Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar island in eastern Van province, Armenian Church of St. Giragos in the southeastern Diyarbakir, Great Synagogue of the northwestern Edirne -- the largest of its kind in Europe--, Stipol Synagogue in Istanbul and St. Aho Monastery in the southeastern Batman province are only the latest restored places of worship in Turkey.

Today, over a dozen of other places of worship are under restoration in every corner of the country, including the St. Giragos and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches in Diyarbakir previously damaged in attacks by the PKK terror group, which over three decades has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people in Turkey, including women, children and infants.

Yusuf Cetin, the metropolitan bishop of Istanbul Syriac Church, said the laying of the cornerstone of the new church in Istanbul was a source of pride for the Syriac community.

The construction of the Syriac church “shows the democracy in our country, human rights and religious freedom," Cetin asserted, stressing this was a clear example that people could freely perform their religious duties in Turkey.

"Security forces protect us on our religious holidays [and] on Sunday. I would like to thank everyone, notably the president," he said.

Cetin went on to say that the Syriac community in Turkey had not been able to open schools or university departments studying the Syriac language, but this has also changed in recent years.

"Thanks to our government, following a judicial decision, we were able to open a private kindergarten in 2013 in Yesilkent [neighborhood of Istanbul]," he said, adding the school belonged to the Syriac Orthodox St. Ephrem Association.

He added that a Syriac literature department was founded at Artuklu University in the southeastern Mardin province, another source of happiness for the Syriac community, which has a history of 5,500 years.

"As a religious leader, we stand with unity and solidarity no matter which country we live in, and we commemorate our statespeople with our prayers during religious ceremonies and pray for every person in the country regardless of their religion or ethnicity. After all, we are on the same ship," he said.

Cetin also commented on the recent deadly terrorist attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, where mosques and churches were targeted, killing hundreds.

"It is God who gives life and should be the one to claim it," he said, slamming acts of terror with religious motivations behind them.

"One of the commandments given to Moses says 'Thou shalt not kill'. It is a deadly sin to do this," he said, referring to terrorism.

Erdogan's gesture attracted significant attention worldwide. It was a plus point for our country, and the prejudices of many were broken with the construction of the new Syriac church, he added.

Sait Susin, head of the Virgin Mary Syriac Orthodox Church Foundation in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district, spoke highly of the Turkish government’s steps to restore synagogues and churches across Turkey, saying the Syriac community in Turkey faced no restrictions or limitations while performing their religious duties.

"Churches and synagogues are part of the cultural richness in our country. They have huge potential in terms of religious tourism," Susin said, praising the restoration of places of worship.

He said religious rites are held once a year, arguing the places of worship should be open to religious ceremonies all year long.

According to Susin, Muslims and Syriac Christians in Turkey lived throughout history in almost total harmony, with all of the church foundation's business-related issues being conducted in collaboration with Muslims.

Underlining that Syriacs faced difficulty in expressing themselves two or three decades ago, he said the various communities were now more accustomed to each other and that Muslims knew Syriac Christians well enough that their behaviours were based on respect.

"It should be acknowledged that belief is a matter between God and a human being. One’s belief and clothing should not be interfered with by anybody," he added.

Referring to the recent terrorist attacks on houses of worship, he said: "Regardless of the motive, it is wrong that something dies at the hands of a man, whether it be a tree, animal or anything."

He stressed that negative attitudes towards religions, such as Islamophobia, were not acceptable and should be condemned.

"The more equal rights are given to the minorities in a country, the stronger democracy grows," he said, calling on the international community to do the utmost and take the necessary steps to prevent racism and xenophobia from growing across the globe.