Syriac MP Tuma Çelik submits parliamentary motion for the urgently needed preservation of Syriac heritage buildings in Turkey

ANKARA – Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament for Mardin, Tuma Çelik, has put parliamentary questions to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy about the precarious or unprotected status of Syriac immovable structures. The questions come after the conclusion of a field study on Syriac cultural heritage and how to protect it for the future, reports Syriac newspaper Gazete Sabro.

Çelik opens his parliamentary motion to the Minister with the following introductory words:

“The Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage has carried out a comprehensive study on the immovable cultural heritage of the Syriac community – which possesses one of the most ancient cultures in Turkey – with experts in the field of the conservation of historical buildings, architects, historians of architecture and art, archaeologists, and civil engineers.”

“As a result of the many field visits conducted on various dates by three separate expert groups consisting of 20 people, some 60 structures were visited and documented, including buildings that did not even have any official architectural records before. For 58 of the structures, the expert groups documented their architectural features, drew up comparative tables, and included several findings as possible source for future conservations and restorations.”

Related: Syriac MP Tuma Çelik asks Ministry of Culture to do more to preserve Christian heritage in Turkey

Although they are registered as immovable cultural property, MP Çelik states that many buildings still have no monumental or protected status, and that most of the buildings need urgent intervention. He emphasizes that registration alone is not sufficient for the protection of the structures and that “it is important to increase the awareness of public institutions and the public opinion to the protection of this cultural heritage by making it public and opening them up to the public.” The motion further underlines that the protection of cultural heritage structures is not a work that the Syriac community can do on its own.

Kültürel Mirası Koruma Derneği'nin Süryani Toplumu'nun somut olmayan kültürel mirası üzerine yaptığı çalışmanın sonuçlarına ilişkin Kültür ve Turizm Bakanı, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy'un yanıtlaması istemiyle soru önergesi verdik. pic.twitter.com/5A2EC9XV09

— Tuma Çelik (@tuma_celik) April 8, 2022

The motion submitted by Syriac MP Tuma Çelik to the Minister of Culture and Tourism includes the following questions:

1 – Does your ministry have plans in place to protect endangered Syriac cultural heritage structures?

2 – Does your ministry have work in progress for the urgently needed protection of Syriac cultural heritage structures that are under severe threat?

3 – Does your ministry have an incentive program for the protection of religious buildings with high architectural value, such as Syriac churches and monasteries, which are privately owned?

4 – Is it on your agenda to initiate an incentive plan for Cultural Foundations in order to protect the structures whose title deeds belong to Syriac Foundations?

5 – Have any incentive programs been implemented in the last 5 years for the protection or restoration of structures owned by Syriac Foundations?

6 – In the past 5 years, has there been any Syriac structure that has been officially designated as protected, or been restored or included in the Ministry’s planning for restoration?

7 – For the coming years, is there any Syriac structure planned for official state protection or restoration?

8 – Is it on your agenda to seek advice and support from non-governmental organizations or experts about the threatening state of Syriac structures, and how they can be protected?

9 – Will you be working to create public awareness for the protection of the Christian cultural heritage, which is very often a target of attacks?