Protest against Armenians’ church service on Akdamar island held in Turkey

9/9/13

In response to the next church services in the Armenian church on Turkish island of Akdamar, a group of Turkish citizens organized a protest action on the shore of Van.

1news.az reports with reference to Turkish media that the action participants fulfilled namaz in memory of the civilians that were killed by Armenian bandits in this region of Turkey in the early last century.

However, the police did not allow the group to head to Akdamar where the representatives of the country’s Armenian community have gathered for the fourth time at the permission of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The church on Akdamar was built in 915-921 and several years ago it underwent reconstruction at the expense of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism with the involvement of specialists from Armenia.

Turkish authorities had never permitted the church services in the temple before, since the church on Akdamar is a museum.

The first Christianization was held on Akdamar island this year. A baby Van by name who was born to a family of an Armenian doctor working in Turkey was Christianized.

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