World Council of Arameans [Syriacs]

Call for Recognition and Support of the Endangered Aramean (Syriac) People in Turkey

Stockholm, 7 November 2013

Today, 7 November 2013, Mr. Kenan Anter and Mr. Gabriel Bozyel, respectively the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Syriac Federation of Sweden, met in Stockholm with the Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Egemen Bağış. On behalf of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) and the Syriac Federation of Sweden, Mr. Anter discussed the Aramean question in Turkey and submitted a letter to Mr. Erdogan. The writing encourages the Turkish Government to continue developing its democratization efforts, and also calls upon the Government to recognize and support the endangered Aramean people in Turkey.

Click here to download the letter

The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”) and the Syriac Federation of Sweden (SRF) appeal to you on behalf of the endangered Aramean (Syriac; Süryani in Turkish) people, who are indigenous to, but not yet officially recognized and supported by, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

In May 2009, Your Excellency boldly declared that in the past century the non-Muslim minorities have suffered a lot and in many ways in Turkey, stating: “This mindset has seemingly not changed. It has been the same for many years in this country. They have chased members of different ethnicities out of this country. Have we won? This was the result of a fascist mentality.” Today, four years later, one is compelled to review the onground reality with Your Excellency’s comment.

The first major step in burying this attitude of the “old Turkey” with its denialist and assimilation policies was the latest democratization package, which you called a “historic moment for Turkey.” We encourage and support you to continue your reform efforts in shaping the “new Turkey.” We consider the package a first major initiative in preserving the endangered ethno-religious minorities in Turkey. It contains dozens of promising points, although we regret to announce that it also had shortcomings, including (but not limited to) the following important cases:

WCA Letter to the US President Barack Obama

URGENT REQUEST TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SYRIA

Stockholm, 4 September 2013

Click here to download the letter in: EN or SE

Dear Mr. President Obama,

We urgently appeal to You on behalf of the Aramean (Syriac) people, who are indigenous to Syria, Iraq, Southeast Turkey and Lebanon, and more than 100,000 of whom have found refuge in Sweden (see the appendix below). We request You to reconsider Your current position on Syria.

WCA Letter to the US State Secretary John Kerry

APPEAL TO RECOGNIZE MASS EXODUS OF CHRISTIANS FROM SYRIA AND TRUE NATURE OF ‘REBELS’

Stockholm, 18 September 2013

Click here to download the letter

Dear Secretary Mr. Kerry,

We urgently appeal to you on behalf of the Aramean (Syriac) people, who are native to Syria, Iraq, Southeast Turkey and Lebanon, and more than 100,000 of whom have found refuge in Sweden. We ask you to acknowledge the below reality and come to the urgent help of our endangered people:

WCA Letter to the EU Foreign Affairs Council

REQUEST FOR AN EU POLICY & SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR VULNERABLE MINORITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To the Distinguished Foreign Ministers of the EU

Stockholm, 20 August 2013

Click here to download this letter in PDF

Your Excellencies,

Christians throughout the Middle East are at a critical impasse. What we are seeing in Egypt has also been reflected in other states in the region. The Aramean (Syriac) Christians of Syria, Turkey and Iraq are theologically closely linked to the Copts and have endured the same fate for centuries.