Syriac Monastery Treasury Case Again Postponed (June 2009)
Midyat, Turkey – The Syriac Universal Alliance (SUA), a recognized NGO at the United Nations that represents the Aramean (Syriac) people worldwide, reports that the court trial held today on Wednesday, June 17 2009, in Midyat, Turkey, has once again been postponed.
The Attorney acting for the Turkish State Treasury Department, relating to a claim for some 24 Hectares of Land (“Treasury Case”), requested more time to study the evidence put forward by the Monastery. Granting this appeal, the Judge adjourned this case to next Wednesday, 24 June. This case will be heard together with:
- The “Forestry” Land claim (approximately 34 Hectares of Land); and
- The case involving the Head of the Religious Foundation of the Monastery, Mr Kuryakos Ergün, as a defendant, for the “intentional violation of the Forestry law.”
Regarding the Treasury Case, insiders expect a verdict will follow next week in favor of the Monastery. But Mr Ergün believes the trials will be particularly difficult, adding: "We expect a decision on 24 June and although we are confident in relation to the Treasury Case, we are not so sure about the Forestry Cases."
The outcome of the last-named court trial is inexorably linked to the case against Mr Ergün himself, who believes that: "Losing the Forestry case would be the worst possible result. We could be in a situation where the authorities break down the wall that protects the Monastery and all the people inside of it, including the Archbishop, monks, nuns, teachers and children. It could mean that unknown people may be given the ancestral land of the Monastery which surrounds us in order to cultivate our own land. This could be very dangerous."
Daniel Gabriel, SUA’s Human Rights and NGO Director, confirms this and stresses: “The Turkish Government and the local authorities are moving towards a path of endangering the existence of the Monastery and its inhabitants. If we lose either the Treasury or Forestry case (or even both), there will be a real danger that the Monastery will cease to function in the next 10 to 15 years, as the walls are broken down and new neighbors are shipped in to the area. So the next week is critical. We need to maintain the international pressure, because important decisions are expected on June 24.”
SUA continues to request all media, human rights organizations and politicians to maintain and increase their interest and passion in relation to this critical issue for the Aramean people. The recent victory of the Boundary Case, which involved over 300 Hectares of Land, proves that international pressure can affect the remaining three cases and justice to prevail.
The SUA will continue to keep you updated in relation to the final trials. If you require any further information, please contact Mr Daniel Gabriel (SUA’s Director of Human Rights and NGO) on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For more information, especially on historical maters, you can also contact Mr Johny Messo (SUA’s President) on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
