TURKEY

ZALIN, Syria — After the conviction of Syriac Orthodox monk Sefer (Aho) Bileçen of the Mor Yahqup d-Qarne Monastery in Tur Abdin by a Turkish court on terrorism charges, Deputy Co-Chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria Badran Jia Kurd stated to SuroyoTV that Turkey’s…

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ANKARA — Turkey was among the top three imprisoners of intellectuals globally in 2020, unchanged from the previous year, according to PEN America’s Freedom to Write Index. PEN America is affiliated with PEN International, a non-profit aimed at promoting literature and freedom of expression worldwide. The report…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three prominent U.S. Senators put forward legislation opening the door for sanctions on Turkish officials if Ankara fails to address the gross violations of human rights in the country. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced the reintroduction of a human…

TUR ABDIN, Turkey – Eight heritage churches and monasteries of the ancient Syriac region of Tur Abdin in southeastern Turkey have been nominated by Turkey for UNESCO’s Tentative List, reports pro-government newspaper Daily Sabah. With the addition of these Syriac churches and monasteries and the nomination of the historical town…

ANKARA — Independent Member of Turkish Parliament Ümit Özdağ on Wednesday insulted and threatened Armenian Member of Turkish Parliament Garo Paylan (Peoples’ Democratic Party, HDP) over the latter’s proposal that the Turkish Parliament recognize the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people during World War I. In…

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress. By Suphi Aksoy As the spectrum of democratic politics in Turkey and throughout the Middle East continues to dangerously narrow, the whirlwind of chaos, crisis, marginalization, hostility, and conflict swells. And,…

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ANKARA / TEL TAMR, Syria — On Saturday, in a historic statement, U.S. President Joe Biden recognized the massacres of Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman and allied forces as genocide. The move caused fierce reactions in Ankara, with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (Justice and…

BRUSSELS / ANKARA — As Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) imprisons even more members of its political opposition, launches yet another military operation in northern Iraq, and rhetorically lashes out at U.S. President Joe Binden’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs…

BRUSSELS – The European Syriac Union (ESU) published a written statement on the occasion of 24 April, 1915 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. With the title ‘Recognition of Genocide is Vital to a Peaceful Future’, ESU reiterated its call for recognition of the Genocide in its 106th year and expresses its…

ANKARA – The Executive Committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) issued a written statement on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, saying that the “Armenian Genocide is above all a humanitarian, legal, and social issue that needs to be accepted accordingly today, fairly and…