On Monday July 3, 2017, representatives of Mor Gabriel Foundation and Mardin Foundation met with the Governor of Mardin to discuss the confiscation of Assyrian church properties in Turabdin. The Governor claimed that this is not acceptable and that the issue must be solved, whereas he forwarded a report by Mor Gabriel about affected properties to Ankara, asking the Interior Ministry that the Diyanet be outside the administration of the churches, says to Mr. Kuryakos Ergün, chairman of Mor Gabriel Foundation.
But the confiscation would not be solved by keeping the Diyanet outside the properties, because the ownership is still at the hands of the State Treasury. That kind of decisions are nothing but a game with words, analysts say. Mr. Ergün says that the issue will not be solved unless all properties are returned back to the Assyrian Foundations. To keep the Diyanet out of the case would only release the government from international pressure. That would not not reales us in any way, Mr. Ergün says.
The properties in question are not only churches in the administration of Diyanet; graveyards are given to the metropolitan municipality and land properties (fields, wine yards etc) to the local municipality. All of it must be returned to its real owners. If and when that is done, we own them nothing but a thanks, Mr. Ergün adds.