Bishop Hanna Aydin, who used to be the religious leader for the complete diocese in Germany, received the Turkish minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş in Berlin on Friday March 9, 2018. This took place after the minister attended the Muslim Friday mass in a nearby Mosque. Bishop Aydin, even though he is not the official bishop for the diocese any more, presented himself as the representative of the entire Assyrian/Syriac community in Germany. He then praised the Turkish minister with the following words in a fashion confirming the slave mentality that still exists among certain church leaders:
“Your Excellency, the minister of Culture and Tourism, on behalf of the 100.000 Syrian Orthodox in Germany, I welcome you with warmest greetings. Your visit gives us a great joy, because all of us were born in Turkey, raised in Turkey, went to school and did our military service in Turkey, which is our country. While seeing you here among us, we consider ourselves under the honorable shadow of the moon-starred Turkish flag. No matter where we live, Turkey is our country, the Turkish flag is ours and you are our father, brother and ruler of all of us. Our respect to you is great. Therefore, we say to you welcome and we gathered here with great joy together with father Murat and the leaders of church board. Your visit to us here, is considered a visit to all Syrian Orthodox in Germany, because we are receiving you here in Berlin in their name. Once again you are welcome! We wish our country Turkey all the best and will always be faithful and helpful its development. Welcome and we are always on your side!”