Congratulations on Installation of New Governorship in the Mardin Province
To His Excellency Turhan Ayvaz, Governor of the Mardin Province
Dear Mr. Ayvaz,
On behalf of the Syriac Universal Alliance (SUA) and all its Member Federations in Europe, the USA and Australia, it gives us great pleasure to extend our warmest congratulations on Your installation
as the newly appointed Governor of Mardin (see Appendix 1 for more information about the SUA, the only Aramaic-speaking NGO at the United Nations).
We trust that You are already well aware of the ancient and rich cultural history of Mardin. In particular of the native Aramean or Syriac (Süryani in Turkish) civilization and population who have managed to maintain an ongoing presence in Southeast Turkey for more than 3,000 years (see Appendix 2 for more about their ancient existence in the region).
The SUA has met before with Your predecessor, Mr. Hasan Duruer, and is grateful for his past service. We are determined to work closely with You, especially on the intercultural dialogue in the Mardin region to which the Aramaic cultural heritage is an integral part. Like Yourself, we are committed to promote a harmonious society respectful of human rights and we intend to support sustainable social and economic development in the region. We are confident that both of us envision the same goals for the benefit of this ancient region, its cultural heritage, its heirs and present-day citizens.
We are of the view that one should focus on taking advantage of opportunities and creating solutions for Turkey that benefit all of its society and citizens. We are in the process of devising a plan on how Turkey can best promote and protect the future existence of the Aramean (Syriac) people in the Tur-Abdin and Mardin areas, and we would appreciate the opportunity to discuss our proposed plan with Your Excellency later this year.
Once again we congratulate you wholeheartedly and wish you every success in Your new duties and we look forward to our fruitful cooperation in the near future.
