VAN
A special mass, which was held in Akdamar Church in Turkey's eastern province of Van on Sunday for the fifth year in a row, was attended by senior religious figures from Greek, Armenian and Syrian Orthodox churches for the first time.
Many Turkish and foreign visitors attended the religious ceremony that saw the participation of clergymen such as the Vicar of the Armenian Orthodox Church Aram Atesyan.
“We know from our history that Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, and other ethnic communities had lived together in this region, peacefully,” Atesyan said.
Akdamar Church is a 10th century Armenian Church located on Akdamar Island in Lake Van.
Aiming to create a more peaceful atmosphere between Turkey and Armenia, the Turkish government began the restoration of the church in 2005.
It held its first mass in 95 years in 2010, after it was fully restored.
www.aa.com.tr/en
