For the Christians of Istanbul, the economic and commercial heart of Turkey, the 8th. October was a day of celebration: inside the Syrian Orthodox church of Saint Ephrem, the first and only to be built in the modern era and republican, the first Eucharistic liturgy was celebrated in the presence of the faithful after over three years of work.
The place of worship, the only one "to be built from scratch" in over a century, is located in the Yesilkoy district, in the European part of the metropolis, and around four million euros were spent on its construction.
Interviewed by Turkey's Anadolu newsagency , Sait Susinthe, president of the Istanbul Syriac Kadim Foundation, expresses enthusiasm and satisfaction on behalf of the entire community for the opening.
Although the inauguration of the works with the laying of the first stone dates back to 2019 - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also present at the event - it took almost 10 years to complete the various steps that led to the realization of the work.
“We should have inaugurated last February 19th” recalls the Christian leader Susin, but the devastating earthquake of February 6th “interrupted plans. It was a great tragedy for the whole country. In these circumstances, it was out of the question for us - he explains - to proceed with the inauguration".
He goes on to explain that it is a work that has had a wide following among the Syriac communities in the world, who have followed the construction process closely and many have made requests among Christians in Turkey to be able to participate in the first celebration.
“Our phones ring constantly. This is also a prestige - adds Susin - for our country" and it is also a message of freedom and tolerance towards the "preconceptions" held abroad towards the former Ottoman Empire.
“I hope that the prayers offered here – he underlines – will be useful in strengthening unity, solidarity and cohesion in our nation”.
The inauguration ceremony saw the participation of a representative of the Patriarchate and a heterogeneous group of delegates from both Turkey and abroad, as well as government officials on the upper floor of the building which has a capacity of 750 people.
The church, conceived as a five-story project in an empty area of the Latin Catholic cemetery, is located in Yesilkoy in the European area, where the large part of the Assyrian community resides.
One floor of the structure is reserved as a cultural room for the community, which can gather after mass or at the conclusion of ceremonies such as baptisms, funerals and weddings, as well as for meetings and conferences. On the ground floor there are the bishop's quarters, rooms for welcoming guests and a car park.
Freedom of worship is guaranteed in Turkey, but freedom of religion has been violated on various occasions in the recent past.
The Turkish government has interfered in the selection of Church leaders. Some clerics have been killed, namely Fr Andrea Santoro in 2006 and Mgr Luigi Padovese in 2010.
Some churches and Church-owned buildings have been confiscated.
A US clergyman, Rev Andrew Brunson, was detained and later released.
In recent months, there have also been cases of land disputes, desecration of cemeteries and expropriation of places of worship.