Eleven years since kidnapping of bishops in Turkish-occupied Syria, silence persists

HOLEB, Syria — Amidst the somber commemoration of the 11th anniversary of the abduction of Bishop Mar Gregorios Youhana Ibrahim and Bishop Mar Boulos Yazigi in Holeb (Aleppo), Syria, at the time occupied by Turkish-backed proxies, Ankara’s enduring silence on the matter casts a shadow of uncertainty over their fate.

Over the years, numerous efforts have been undertaken to ascertain the whereabouts of the abducted bishops, with notable attention from the United States Department of State. Despite Ankara’s jurisdiction over the area where the bishops were taken, Turkish authorities have remained conspicuously inactive since the incident. While sporadic statements from regime officials have hinted at intelligence regarding the bishops’ well-being, concrete action has been absent.

As the case stagnates, with no progress made or official statements forthcoming from Ankara, the plight of the kidnapped bishops continues to linger unresolved. The issue, persistently raised in the Turkish Parliament, has garnered growing demands from the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities for swift revelation of the bishops’ fate and justice for the perpetrators.