Diyarbakir’s Armenian Catholic Church of St. Hovsep, after being renovated by the state, has been handed over for 10 years to the administration of Diyarbakir’s “Tigris” University. This was reported by Ermenihaber.am, citing rudaw.net.
The church, located in the Sur central district of Diyarbakir, was seriously damaged in 2015 during clashes between Turkish security forces and militants of the “Kurdistan Workers’ Party” (PKK) political-military organization.
The church, belonging to the Armenian Catholic community and renovated by Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations, will be used by Tigris University for educational and cultural purposes for 10 years. Nevertheless, the Armenian Catholic community’s right to hold liturgies in the church has been preserved.
Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, head of the Armenian Catholic Church diocese in Turkey, blessed the church after the renovation and held the first liturgy there after a long interval.
Zekiyan expressed satisfaction that after 100 years the community has been granted the right to organize a liturgy.
It should be noted that in 2013 the Armenian church in Sur was also renovated, after which it was used as a carpet workshop.
