Assyrian high priest thanks Turkish president

MARDIN, Turkey

An Assyrian high priest in Turkey expressed appreciation after his Ramadan message was shared on the Turkish Presidency’s social media account.

"We thank our President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], we are always grateful to him," Gabriel Akyuz, a high priest of a Church in Turkey’s southeastern Mardin province, told Anadolu Agency.

Noting that the Turkish Treasury had returned the land deeds of 55 churches and monasteries previously belonging to the church, Akyuz underlined that Erdogan had done "unforgettable" favors for Turkey's Assyrians.

"We pray for the unity and peace of the country in all our congregations," he said, adding that a lack of peace would damage the region's "serenity, trust and brotherhood".

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur