Historic moment as President Erdogan inaugurates Turkey’s first government-backed Church
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has presided over the inauguration of the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church on Sunday. This event marks the first time in Turkey’s post-Ottoman history, as a predominantly Muslim nation, that a government-funded church has been established.
President Erdogan’s tenure, spanning two decades, has seen controversies surrounding the conversion of ancient churches into mosques and the rise of Islamic conservatism as a dominant social force. His argument has consistently been that he aimed to restore the rights of devout Muslims within the staunchly secular republic founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923.
The construction of the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, which caters to Istanbul’s Assyrian Christian community of 17,000, commenced in 2019 with President Erdogan laying its foundation stone. Sait Susin, President of the Istanbul Syriac Kadim Foundation, expressed his satisfaction, stating, “This is the first newly built church to open its doors since the founding of the Turkish Republic.”
Assyrian Christianity, with roots tracing back to the first century AD in regions spanning southeastern Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, has historical significance. While Susin acknowledged the existence of small churches operating unofficially over the past century, this new church holds immense pride as the first to receive official approval for construction.
President Erdogan has faced international criticism for converting Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020 and later converting the Byzantine-era Chora Church in the same year. These actions garnered concerns from UNESCO and condemnation from Greece, labeling them as provocations against religious freedom.
The newly inaugurated Istanbul church can accommodate up to 750 worshippers and provides President Erdogan with an opportunity to address his critics. His stance has oscillated between championing the rights of pious Muslims and embracing Turkey’s diverse communities. In a pre-election speech, he declared, “We have penned a love letter for every individual of our nation, without any distinction of origin or religion,” emphasizing inclusivity.
President Erdogan’s leadership, marked by these actions, remains a subject of debate within Turkey and the international community, reflecting the delicate balance between religious and secular influences in the nation.
