Syriac MP Yusuf Aydin and Church leaders meet with Turkish NATO representative Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Södertälje

SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden — During his visit to Sweden, Head of the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and former foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with representatives of the two Syriac Orthodox dioceses in Sweden. The meeting, attended by Swedish Syriac MP in Sweden Yusuf Aydin (Kristdemokraterna, KD) and attorney Ilhan Aydin, focused on the challenges faced by the Syriac community in Tur Abdin, a historically Syriac region in southeastern Turkey, as well as broader concerns regarding Syriacs in Syria.

The meeting took place at the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Sweden in Södertälje, home to one of Europe’s largest Syriac diaspora communities, many of whom fled persecution in Turkey over the past century. Among those present was Aydın Zethe Gelma, President of the Lay Council of the Archdiocese of Sweden and Scandinavia.

Discussions centered on a list of demands previously presented to Turkish authorities during a visit by the Swedish Syriac delegation to Turkey late last year. At the heart of these concerns is the long-standing dispute over land and property rights in Tur Abdin, where Syriacs have faced confiscation of Church lands and private properties due to Turkish legal and administrative rulings. Despite court battles, including cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights, many Syriacs remain unable to reclaim their ancestral lands.

In addition to property rights, infrastructure problems in Syriac villages were raised, as the community continues to struggle with lack of public services, discrimination, and a dwindling population due to migration. While Turkey has restored some monasteries and churches in recent years, critics argue that these efforts are largely symbolic and do not address the community’s legal and social grievances.

Beyond Tur Abdin, the meeting also addressed the Syriac presence in Syria, particularly in war-torn regions such as the Khabur River Valley and other parts of North and East Syria, where Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) have been targeted by the Islamic State (ISIS) and other armed factions. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syriacs have faced kidnappings, church burnings, and forced displacement.

Çavuşoğlu assured the attendees that Turkish authorities were closely monitoring the situation of Christian communities in Syria, just as they follow developments concerning the Syriac population in Turkey. However, many Syriac activists have expressed deep mistrust of Turkish policies in Syria, particularly after Turkey’s military interventions in northern Syria, which displaced thousands of Syriac, Kurdish, and Yezidi residents.

The meeting between Çavuşoğlu and Syriac leaders in Sweden underscores Turkey’s growing efforts to engage with diaspora communities amid increasing international scrutiny of its minority policies. However, whether this engagement will result in tangible policy changes — such as resolving property disputes in Tur Abdin or ensuring the protection of Syriacs in Syria — remains an open question.

For Syriac leaders, the challenge is not just securing symbolic recognition but ensuring lasting legal protections for their communities, both in their historic homeland and in the broader Middle East.