Member of the Republican People’s Party of Turkey, which is considered the major opposition party in Turkey, Turkish-Armenian Member of Parliament Selina Dogan and a couple of her partisans visited the southeastern Turkish city of Mardin where the shrines pertaining to the Assyrian community and recently forcefully nationalized by the authorities are located, reports BBC Turkey, writes tert.am.

Let us mention that Turkey has illegally robbed up to 30 structures from the Assyrian community, most of which are located in the state of Mardin.

Among the confiscated structures is the Assyrian monastery of Mother Gabriel, which is considered one of the symbols of Mardin.

The monastery of Mother Gabriel was built in the 4^th century and is considered one of the well-preserved, historic and exclusive samples of Assyrian culture.

During the visit, Selina Dogan was escorted by Assyrian lawyers and clergymen who provided details about the situation that had been created.

After her meetings, the Turkish-Armenian MP gave a speech in which she emphasized that the decision on transferring the shrines of the Assyrian community to the Department for Religious Affairs of Turkey was illegal and impermissible.

“During the discussions on the property pertaining to religious minorities, they turn the issue into a conversation about material possession. However, all this is a matter of existence for the community. It is not just about a home or store, but shrines that are like a house or store. At the same time, these are also the cultural heritage and treasury of this country,” Dogan said

Earlier, member of the European People’s Party Renate Somer had criticized Syria for forceful nationalization of the shrines and churches of the Assyrian people.

Somer stressed that the Turkish authorities “want to eliminate the already small Assyrian community from those lands.”