Diyarbakir Mayor: we welcome Armenian delegation to the land of their ancestors

PanARMENIAN.Net - On the occasion of consecration of restored Surp Giragos Church, Armenian women entrepreneurs’ delegation arrived in Diyarbakir, eastern Turkey (historical Western Armenia, Tigranakert).

On the sidelines of the visit, the delegation met with Diyarbakir Mayor Abdullah Demirbas. As Mr. Demirbah noted at the meeting, leaflets saying “Welcome” in Armenian will be distributed during the consecration ceremony. “We welcome you to the land of your ancestors, and we hope this land will continue carrying signs of your culture,” the Mayor said.

As Today’s Zaman reported earlier, a delegation of prominent members of the American-Armenian community was scheduled to arrive in Turkey on Friday, October 21, in an unprecedented visit to various religious sites throughout the country.

The 25-member delegation, which includes U.S.-based influential businessmen and religious figures, will embark on a six-day tour of key religious sites in Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Van. The visit comes after the completion of restoration work on the 15th-century Surp Giragos Church in Diyarbakir province, one of the largest churches in the Middle East and a historic center of Turkey’s once thriving Armenian population.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and other high level members of the American-Armenian diocese will participate in the church’s reopening which is slated for Oct. 23. The delegation also plans to attend a ceremony at the recently restored Armenian church on Akhtamar Island in the province of Van.