Turkish Seizure of Churches and Land Alarms Armenians

"The Turkish government has seized the historic Armenian Surp Giragos Church,… and large swaths of property in the heavily damaged Kurdish city of Diyarbakir.”  This is yet another of many examples of how the current Turkish government led by president Erdogan is reverting to its old, more oppressive ways. They are taking steps backward, away from the progressive steps that had been made by the previous Turkish heads of state. 

Armenian citizens are becoming scared for their safety, almost as they had been preceding the Armenian genocide. The concept of a pure Turkish State is returning, and minorities such as Armenians and Kurds are being forced to live in constant fear and tension. 

The Turkish government, furthermore, is buying a lot of property in primarily Kurdish cities such as Diyarbakir with the intent of rebuilding them, and making them more developed, and modern to attract a wealthier population, and tourists. This may sound nice at face value, but it will push out many of the minorities that generally have a lower income than the Turkish, and now Syrian refugee majorities. Ultimately, minorities such as Kurds and Armenians in Turkey are being terrorized, killed, and pushed out of their homes and cities with no where to go, and no where to turn to. 

Their cultures were stripped from them, and now their land, and safe spaces, sacred spaces are being threatened. Expressing the importance of the Armenian Surp Giragos Church, an Armenian Kurd said,“For us, it’s not just a building or a place of worship. It’s where we would come to put together the pieces of our history and identity together.” 

~Livia Gazzolo

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/world/europe/turkeys-seizure-of-churches-and-land-alarms-armenians.html?ref=world&_r=0