The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) expresses its support for the Turkish Government's decision to open the historical Armenian church of Akdamar in Van, Turkey for a religious service on September 19.
"The invitation to the Armenian community worldwide to hold service at Akdamar is an important gesture by Turkey to advance reconciliation and rekindle the bonds of friendship between the Turkish and Armenian people which lasted for centuries in Anatolia," said Lincoln McCurdy, TCA President. "We salute this decision and are encouraged that Armenians worldwide took this as an opportunity to visit Turkey and see how Armenian cultural heritage continues to enrich this country today," he added.
The mass was attended by thousands of Armenian worshippers from different countries. It was led by Archbishop Aram Ateshian of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey. ''This church, which is a valuable piece of art, is a cultural monument that belongs to the whole of humanity,'' the Archbishop said during his service.
The Ministry of Culture of Turkey had financed the renovation of the church in 2006 and it was inaugurated as a museum in 2007. Regarded as a leading example of Armenian architecture, particularly for its stone workmanship and reliefs, the church was built by Bishop Manuel between 915-921.
To introduce young Armenians to Turkey, TCA launched an Armenian American Scholarship program in October 2009. The program is designed to support up to 100 students of Armenian heritage per year, who choose Turkey as their study abroad destination. To learn more about the program, please visit https://tc-america.org/.
