High Committee for the Protection of Syriac–Assyrian and Armenian Property opens branch in Darbo-du-Osyo (Darbasiya), North and East Syria

DARBO-DU-OSYO, North and East Syria — The High Committee for the Protection of Syriac–Assyrian and Armenian Property inaugurated a new branch in Darbo-du-Osyo (Darbasiyah) in Gozarto (Jazira) Canton of North and East Syria. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from existing branches in Qabre Hewore (Qahtaniyah), Beth Zalin (Qamishli), and Hasakah, along with members of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo d’Bethnahrin, MUB) and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES). Fr. Michael Yacoub, priest of the local Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Osyo Hakimo, also participated in the event. 

Fr. Yacoub lauded the Committee’s efforts, highlighting the critical importance of managing and protecting properties abandoned by Christians who emigrated from their ancestral lands in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia). In his remarks to SyriacPress, he emphasized the need for similar initiatives across all of Beth Nahrin and criticized Christians who left their properties unattended, equating such actions to treating them as worthless items. 

Talal Jamil Korkis, head of the new branch, expressed gratitude to those who contributed to its establishment. He pledged to meet the expectations of expatriate Christians and ensure the branch fulfills its mission.

Bassam Ruhqudso, another member of the Darbo-du-Osyo branch, reiterated the Committee’s commitment to protecting the properties of expatriate Christians. He urged support from the expatriate community, emphasizing the need for collaboration due to limited resources. 

In December 2024, the High Committee for the Protection of Syriac–Assyrian and Armenian Property issued an appeal via its official Facebook page, urging expatriates to register their properties in North and East Syria. The initiative aimed to safeguard properties from exploitation, tampering, and forgery. 

The newly opened branch in Darbo-du-Osyo marks another step in the Committee’s broader effort to manage and preserve the properties of absent Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) and Armenian communities, ensuring these assets remain protected amid ongoing challenges.