A third visit to Tur Abdin

A report on a visit made between 9th and 13th November 1998 to the monasteries of Deir Zafaran and Mor Gabriel, Mardin Province, S. E. Turkey

Purpose

I previously visited the region of Tur Abdin and wrote my reports in late 1997 and May-June 1998. It seemed at that time that pressure had worked in supporting the Syrian Orthodox Community which was itself feeling threatened by the Turkish Authorities, but there are serious questions about how successful this is. In particular:

Building. The process has been made clear about how to apply for permission to maintain, renovate and restore the monastery buildings. However, the failure of the relevant committee to give decisions can be seen as a way of preventing any work being authorised.
Teaching. Education of boys at the monasteries was now under the authority of the Ministry of Waqfs, who had forbidden it.
Guests. It seems that guests are still being welcomed illegally.

This report will be shorter than the previous two as there has been little development.

The journey

I decided to travel by public transport. It was not without problems.

Monday	Night bus from Damascus to Qamishli. Border crossing, taking five hours. Car to Deir Zafaran
Tuesday	Deir Zafaran
Wednesday	Deir Zafaran to Deir Mor Gabriel
Thursday	leave Deir Mor Gabriel; car to border at Nuseibin. Border never opened; bus to Gaziantep
Friday	Minibus from Gaziantep to the border, then Aleppo-Damascus

The border crossing between Qamishly and Nuseibin has been irregular in its opening for several weeks, since the tension between Turkey and Syria. It is claimed that the problem is due to intermittent computer failure, but this seems unlikely, and it is believed locally that it is a matter of deliberate policy to make life difficult for Kurds (for whom this is the main border gate) using this crossing. It opened at 2 p.m. on the Monday, and not at all on the Wednesday and Thursday, but people waiting are told that it could open at any time. This cause several people serious inconvenience, most of them were Turkish, and not Kurds.

The present situation

There has been little change since my last report. In that I reported that:
. . .in mid-April the Ministry of Waqfs (i.e. charitable foundations of a religious nature) had sent a letter to Mor Gabriel which stated

that the historical monument had been altered without permission: in future any renovation must have permission and go through the appropriate channels;
that no accounts of income or expenditure had been submitted to the Ministry: the books for 1998 must be submitted;
and that teaching of students was without permission of the Ministry; this must stop.

Building

Both Deir Zafaran and Deir Mor Gabriel have plans for building work. These were shown to the necessary authorities from Diarbakir who visited in June. They required further plans to be made by the Syrian Orthodox architect based in Istanbul. At the monasteries they were told verbally that they could do some work, but that if the Waqf authorities asked any questions, they would not be supported. There is to be a meeting to discuss the plans in Mardin in December 1998, postponed from November. Visitors from the Ministry of Tourism are interested in some building work being done particularly at Deir Zafaran, but the Monastery is unwilling to take the risk. No work has been done for a year. Some of the work at Deir Zafaran is to replace ugly twentieth century concrete with fine local stone. Much of the building is in need of work, and it would be advisable to have some archaeological advice as some parts are late Roman.

Education

The ban on having boys staying at the monastery continues, although there is no formal teaching syllabus. One reason the boys stay is to be close to the schools at Mardin (Deir Zafaran) and Midyat (Deir Mor Gabriel). The numbers of boys at the four working monasteries is as follows:

Deir Mor Gabriel: 39
Deir Mor Yacoub: 8
Deir Mor Malke: 4
Deir Zafaran: 4

There has been no action from the Waqf authorities, although the letter still stands. The monastery authorities are in constant fear of the implementation of the threats of the letter.

Visitors

There continue to be large numbers of visitors to the Monasteries, particularly to Deir Zafaran. Members of diplomatic missions representing Australia, Belgium, Canada, Holland, Macedonia, Slovakia, and the USA inter alia have visited. Deir Zafaran is becoming a significant tourist stop for both internal and external tourists. The monastery is careful to hand out Bibles only to those Muslims who ask for copies.

General conditions

Deir Zafaran is now a very small monastery, which is worrying because of its historical significance and its usefulness as a tourist centre near to the busy town of Mardin. It has lost 2 workers in the last 6 months. Its problems are both external and internal, and these latter need addressing by the Syrian Orthodox authorities. Deir Mor Gabriel is a lively, thriving community of about 70 people, including the 2 monks, 14 sisters and administrative staff. It is in a region in serious decline: the nearby town of Midyat has some fine architecture, but the departure of the Christian population and the arrival of peasant Kurds has made the place a dirty and uncared for place. In new parts of the town, however, there is some building going on.
Emigration from the area has slowed down considerably. In the last year only two Christian families have left the area. One or two young men have left to avoid military service, compared to 12-15 who have just begun their service.
There were signs of ploughing in the fields, ready for winter sowing. Many local people have received money from relatives abroad, and have been buying tractors, which means that a small farm which needed the work of a family of twelve may now manage with one or two people. One of the monasteries has been offered a farm tractor, but is fearful of local (Kurdish) villagers’ jealousy and that the army will use it. Such use is common practice.
The security situation in the region continues to require the presence of the Turkish Army. Villages which were evacuated over the last few years continue to be out of bounds to the villagers, who still entertain the hope of a return. On the road between Mardin and Midyat we were stopped twice by the army who used the minibus to transport some mechanical parts. On the road from Midyat to Nuseibin there was a check point at Midyat , and we were stopped in a desolate area by two armed men who turned out to be Kurdish members of the Police (or Gendarmerie) asking for a lift.
Some villages on the main road have a significant army presence with a tank dug in, others have an APC. There was a report from the new district commander of the army who told the Bishop that a bus had been stopped and destroyed on the Mardin-Midyat road the previous week. I saw no evidence of trouble.

Summary

In the last six months there has been no significant change to the situation. The monasteries are abiding by the Ministry of Waqfs’ requirement concerning renovation and restoration of the buildings, but being frustrated by a bureaucracy which may or may not be deliberately disruptive.
In the matters of receiving guests and educating the students, the monasteries have continues their ancient practice in contravention of the Ministry of Waqfs’ letter of April 1998.
There is no doubt that this little ancient Christian community is being harassed and troubled by the Turkish authorities.