Turkey is dedicated to the legacy of multi-faith tolerance and cultural pluralism

The collapsed and damaged buildings in Hatay on March 7, after the massive earthquake struck southeastern Turkey. AFP

On February 6, 2023, Turkiye was struck by two devastating earthquakes, claiming many lives and leaving many more affected. Since then, we have received international support and solidarity from all over the world – including the UAE, which was one of the first countries to respond to our call for help – in our relief and recovery efforts.

However, as we experience the deadliest natural disaster Turkiye has ever faced and try to focus on recovery, we are saddened to see that The National recently published an article under the titles “Christians in Hatay fear end to era of coexistence” (print) and “Turkey’s Christians of Hatay worry earthquake exodus will end centuries of co-existence” (online).

Contrary to the national and international unity and solidarity that prevail these days, the report unfortunately blames Turkiye falsely for discriminatory policies based on controversial arguments that lack any legal or historical basis and academic consensus, and includes prejudiced comments regarding Turkiye. We reject them in their entirety.

Turkiye is firmly dedicated to the legacy of multi-faith tolerance and cultural pluralism inherited from the Ottoman Empire. Turkish citizens of different religious backgrounds constitute an integral and enriching component of the diverse social mosaic of Turkiye, enjoying and exercising equal rights and freedoms safeguarded by the constitution, in addition to the minority status granted by the Lausanne Peace Treaty of July 24, 1923. They have their own places of worship, foundations, schools, hospitals and media outlets. More than 150 foundations belonging to religious minorities are among non-governmental organisations operating in Turkiye.

Home to almost 500 places of worship for non-Muslims, Turkiye pioneers and supports efforts aimed at the preservation of all religious centres and cultural heritage. To that end, several large-scale projects for comprehensive renovations of the places of worship have been carried out so far. The renovation of the synagogue in Izmir and the Grand Synagogue in Edirne serve as examples for the most recent projects. In the last couple of years, many more synagogues and churches had been renovated, including Hatay Iskenderun Greek Catholic Church, Hatay Yayladagi Greek Orthodox Church and Diyarbakir Armenian Catholic Church. In the last quarter of 2021, the newly renovated Malatya Tashoran Church hosted the first mass after 106 years.

In a similar vein, following the earthquake, high-level Turkish authorities visited the affected areas to engage with the local communities and discuss the necessities on the ground. The President of Religious Affairs, Prof Dr Ali Erbas, visited Hatay and neighbouring areas and met with prominent figures from the Christian communities. To protect the cultural heritage and historical sites, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has initiated the project to renovate and rebuild of damaged places of worship, including the historic Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, which was renovated in 2020. After the completion of the damage assessment and debris removal processes, places of worship in earthquake-hit zones will be renovated or reconstructed.

Needless to say, we have always been and will be against racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, anti-Christianity, Islamophobia and all forms of intolerance as they are threats to humanity. Turkiye continues to emphasise the importance of taking necessary measures to prevent the increasing danger of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-semitism. To that end, it is actively taking part in the international fora to pursue the humanitarian fight to reach a global level of awareness and consensus on the policy of “zero tolerance” towards those discriminating trends.

As we mourn our losses in unity and solidarity, we will also heal our wounds together. The earthquake disaster knew no religion, language, race or ethnicity, neither our recovery efforts will.

Tugay Tuncer, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye to the UAE