Turkey renovates Syriac Orthodox Church in Syria

THE TURKISH military repaired and maintained the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mar Tuma (Saint Thomas) in the northeastern Syrian city of Ras al-Ain, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The armed forces, “which have attached great importance to the maintenance and repair of religious structures in the Peace Spring region since the first day (of Operation Peace Spring), also carried out the maintenance and repair of the Mar Tuma Syriac Orthodox Church in the city center of Ras al-Ain,” the ministry said on Twitter. It also shared a few images where soldiers were adding the last touches inside the church by installing light bulbs.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in 2019 to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

The operation, conducted in line with the country’s right to self-defense borne out of international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions, aimed to establish a terror-free safe zone for Syrians to return to the area east of the Euphrates River, which was then controlled by the U.S.-backed YPG terrorists.

Since the launch of the operation, Turkey has been supporting every aspect of life in the region, from health to education, security to agriculture. In this respect, efforts to clear bombs and improvised explosive devices were launched and administration duties were given to local councils.