The fate of a historic Armenian church in Turkey has ignited controversy and concern within the Christian community, drawing attention to issues of cultural heritage preservation and religious rights.
George Aslan, a member of parliament from the Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party for Mardin, the only Christian MP in the parliament, has raised inquiries to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy regarding the sale of the church, which holds significant cultural and religious value.
The church, situated in the Hafik district of Sivas, is reportedly being sold by an individual at a price of 16 million Turkish Lira, as listed by a real estate consultant. Referred to as the Surp Garabet Church (Historic Tuzhisar Church) in parliamentary discussions, it is alternatively identified by Agos Newspaper as the Surp Asdvadzadzin Church in the village of Gökdin (formerly Gövdün).
Aslan's inquiries underscore the distress felt by Christian citizens over the sale of churches and monasteries, emphasizing the government's responsibility to protect these sacred places of worship. Questions directed to Minister Ersoy seek clarification on the government's awareness of the sale, the validity of ownership claims, the ministry's inventory of churches and monasteries, and measures taken to prevent the unauthorized sale of religious sites.
According to "Armenian Cultural Heritage in Sivas," a book authored by Vahakn Keshishian, Koray Löker, and Mehmet Polatel, the region hosts several Armenian churches and monasteries. However, the last remaining Armenian church in Sivas, Surp Asdvadzadzin, was demolished in the early 1950s amid a period of cultural heritage destruction in Central Anatolian cities. Consequently, Sivas no longer boasts an Armenian church, with the nearest one being the Surp Sarkis Church in Tavra village. (TY/VK)
