President Erdogan has overseen a crackdown on freedom of expression




The ancient Maryam Ana Syriac Orthodox Church has been seized by ministers



Islamist Turkey seizes ALL Christian churches in city and declares them 'state property'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken control of six churches in the war-torn southeastern city of Diyarbakir in his latest move to squash freedom of speech and religious movement.

The state-sanctioned seizure is just the latest in a number of worrying developments to come out of increasingly hardline Turkey, which is in advanced talks with the EU over visa-free travel for its 80 million citizens.

Included in the seizures are Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches, one of which is over 1,700 years old.

They have now effectively become state property - meaning they are run by the government - in a country with a dire human rights record where about 98 percent of the population is Muslim.

The order to seize the churches was made on March 25 by Erdogan's council of ministers, according to the website World Watch Monitor.

They claim it was made on the grounds that authorities intend to rebuild and restore the historical centre of the city, which has been partially destroyed by 10 months of urban conflict between government forces and militants from the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).

Christians in the Middle East are under increasing attack

But the seizures have outraged worshippers at the churches, who fear a government coup against their religion are now threatening to take legal action against the decision.

Ahmet Guvener, pastor of Diyarbakir Protestant Church, said: "The government didn't take over these pieces of property in order to protect them. They did so to acquire them."

And the Diyarbakir Bar Association - which represents Christians worshipping at one of the churches, has now officially filed an appeal the government's action.

In a statement the group said: "Among the expropriated plots, there are structures belonging to public institutions ... and places of worship and residences considered as historical and cultural heritage.

"This decision, which seems to be made by the request of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning without any reason or justification, is unacceptable within the limits of constitutional order."

The government didn't take over these pieces of property in order to protect them. They did so to acquire them

Ahmet Guvener, pastor of Diyarbakir Protestant Church

Local government officials are also thought to be critical of the decision, claiming that the seizures lack legal justification and will cause cultural damage to the town.

In response ministers have insisted the order to take control of the churches was not religiously motivated, pointing out that they have also occupied a number of historic mosques in the city.

But, unlike Christian churches which are maintained by the generosity of their congregations, all mosques in Turkey are state-backed and funded, meaning their futures are secure.

Reacting to the seizure Victoria Coates, who is foreign policy advisor to US Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, said the seizure fits into a pattern in the Middle East, where Christians are systematically displaced and persecuted.

She told PJ Media: "What's happening in southern Turkey is all too typical in the Middle East today, as ancient Christian communities are displaced and persecuted by sectarian violence.

"The government of Turkey should move swiftly to return these churches to their rightful owners, and not take advantage of the situation to seize them permanently."

Erdogan has courted open controversy in recent months with the seizure of opposition newspaper Zaman, which has unsurprisingly since toed a sycophantic pro-government line.

His apparently anti-democratic moves have provoked outrage in Europe, where politicians have been left bowing and scraping at his feet in a desperate bid to resolve the migrant chaos.

As part of a deal designed to stem the flow of people entering the continent EU leaders have promised to open up Europe to 80 million Turks and to accelerate talks on the country joining the 28-nation bloc.
.
Related articles

Turkish president tells EU: ‘Don’t lecture us over migrants’
WATCH: The OSBENE German poem that has soured relations with Turkey
Erdogan demands Germany PROSECUTE comedian over joke

Well.. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .That was a self defeating action.

What's that ? You want what? I'm sorry we can't hear you.

As shown in many other places and situations, it appears to be the overall plan of Islam.

unfortunately they are a part of NATO so we have to put up with them regardless of what they do

Europe's and NATO's Trojan Horse!

Erdogan,the Wannabe Caliph!

OMG! It's revenge for Thanksgiving!


Ooooooh, okay. I was wondering how a bird could pull a trigger.
Pshew.


Other than that.
Eh.
Governments take control of property all the time.

And this is in a "war torn" area, and it's a bunch of other land too, not just the churches.

Governments take over land to give to people to build businesses, or because of urban blight.

Civil asset forfeiture is a bigger problem to me than Turkey taking control of churches in a war torn area.

They aren't doing anything every other country doesn't do on a daily bases.

I don't advocate governments taking possession of churches or their land, however in this case it might be the best possible scenario.
In many places like Iraq and Syria churches have been burned to the ground or destroyed. Who is going to protect the churches from Islamic extremists, clergymen?
In this case since they are now "government property" they can and should be protected by government forces giving them more protection against armed extremists...at least that would be the hope.

other Islamic Extremists?

yep,a Guy you can trust!

Okay. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Humm... How about we confiscate 6 in one city too. I vote for New York, like the ones near the twin towers.

OMG! Racism, Religious discrimination, Islamphobia.

Too much?

How about 6 in any German city ?
Maybe near where the organized rapes were on New Years Eve.

OMG! Hitler ! Mussolini! Save us Merkel.


Wake up!

similar topic...

© www.crossmap.com
A programme director of Swedish TV4 television network said in a statement that the Turkish embassy called for the broadcaster to withdraw a film about the genocide of Assyrians, Armenians and other ethnic minorities in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I.

The broadcaster showed a documentary entitled "Seyfo 1915 — The Assyrian Genocide," on Sunday. Seyfo is a term that is used to describe mass killings of the Assyrian population in the Ottoman Empire that took place during the World War I alongside with the genocide of other ethnic groups, such as Armenians.

"Turkish embassy [to Sweden] has tried to exert pressure on TV4 to stop a documentary. They urged us to 'reconsider our decision' to broadcast the 'Seyfo 1915 — The Assyrian Genocide' in the evening," Viveka Hansson said in a statement published on Sunday. She added that the TV channel would never accept such demands and would protest against attempts to bring pressure on freedom of expression.

During and after World War I, the Ottoman government ordered a series of mass killings and starvation against the country's minorities, such as Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks. Turkey refuses to recognize the massacre as genocide, claiming that Turkish nationals were also victimized.

Turkey's attempts to impose restrictions on freedom of speech both within the country and abroad, have previously been criticized by the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, Russia and the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Turkey ranks 151th out of 180 countries in the RSF 2016 press freedom index.

What surprises me most, is the seizure of the
Orthodox churches.

Seems the islamists, have forgotten a piece of their
valued history.

When the prophet Muhammed was being hunted by
his enemies, it was the orthodox church, that sheltered
him from danger.