Syriac MP George Aslan Questions Turkish Government Over Plans to Convert Historic Armenian Monastery into Mosque

ANKARA — Turkish Syriac Member of Parliament George Aslan has submitted a formal parliamentary inquiry to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy regarding the controversial decision to convert the historic Armenian Monastery of Ani — also known as Surb Astvatsatsin — into a mosque following its restoration.

The monastery, situated in Turkey’s Kars province, was constructed in the 10th century and is considered one of the most important religious and cultural landmarks of Armenian heritage. It is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Recent reports have revealed that Turkish authorities are planning to reopen the site for visitors not as a Christian monument, but as an active mosque — a move that has sparked criticism from minority rights advocates and heritage preservationists.

In his inquiry, submitted on behalf of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), Aslan — himself a Syriac Christian — called attention to what he described as a long-standing pattern of neglect and repurposing of Christian heritage sites in Turkey. “There are hundreds of historical Christian monasteries in Turkey that have been left in disrepair, many of which have suffered structural damage or were deliberately converted into mosques,” he stated. “This is not an isolated event, but part of a policy that has continued for over a century — one that deliberately ignores and alters the nature of churches.”

Aslan emphasized that the Monastery of Ani is not solely an Armenian treasure but a cultural and historical inheritance for all of Turkey and humanity. “Churches and monasteries with significant historical and cultural value must be preserved in a manner that respects their original identity and religious context,” he said.

His inquiry posed several pointed questions to Minister Ersoy, including:

Is it true that the Ani Monastery will be reopened as a mosque?

What is the legal basis for such a decision?

How many churches have been converted into mosques during your tenure as Minister of Culture and Tourism?

The development has drawn concern from human rights groups and cultural heritage organizations, who warn that converting the monastery may violate international heritage protection standards and could further strain relations with religious minority communities in Turkey.

The inquiry comes amid renewed scrutiny of Turkey’s policies toward religious and ethnic minorities, particularly in light of recent moves by the government to reopen former Byzantine and Armenian churches as mosques — a practice critics say undermines the country’s pluralistic legacy and marginalizes non-Muslim communities.