Chaldeans embark on journey back to Turkey

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

The European Chaldean community has acted on the call of Turkey’s Culture Minister Ömer Çelik to return to Turkey.

After a series of negotiations conducted in France and Belgium, it was determined that 27 families would return to Herbole village in the southeastern province of Şırnak’s Silopi district as part of the first stage of the return process. If the required social and economic conditions are met, the number returning will increase.

Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Aksu-Herbole village headman and reorganization committee head Petrus Karatay said there were about 4,000 people who migrated from Herbole to various European countries. Karatay said they were forced to leave the village due to the great obstacles they experienced.

“Syriacs and Chaldeans were exposed to injustice, cruelty, exclusion and insults. In recent years, the locals have displayed some positive improvements parallel to the progress in state authorities and the Kurdish movement. Of course there are still problems awaiting solutions. If the resolution process has positive results, we hope that our remaining problems will be solved as well,” Karatay said.

Karatay said Syriacs and Chaldeans had some property problems. “This is a group determined to maintain its old habits on this matter, but they cannot find the support they once found.”