A church in Mardin province's Midyat. Photo: Rudaw
MIDYAT, Turkey - Driven by war, violence, and discrimination half a century ago, Assyrians in southeastern Turkey have recently decided to return home to Midyat town to rebuild what they call their ancestors' land using the same original architectural designs.
Located in Mardin province in the Kurdish region of southeastern Turkey (Bakur), the population of Midyat was mainly Assyrians in the past, also referred to as Syriac.
Assyrians of Midyat made their perilous journey to Europe after they felt uneasy about their chances for survival in the wake of the conflicts in 1968 between Greek Christians and Turkish Muslims as they were deliberately targeted in the town.
"I have been here for three and a half years since 2019. I came back because I love the country," Ezize Betada Bemay told Rudaw’s Mashala Dekak on Tuesday.
Other factors contributing to their migration abroad were that they had been subject to persecution by the Turkish state. Unlike Armenians and Kurds, the minority group is not recognized in the country and their language is not taught in public schools.
In recent years, more than 10 villages of Midyat have been reconstructed by those who have come back from Europe, among them is Arkeha village.
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