On February 27, Assyrian organizations from Europe and Turkey met with the Turkish Constitution Conciliation Commission in Ankara to present and deliver the demands and expectations of Assyrian people concerning the new constitution.

The European Syriac Union (ESU), the Federation of Syriac Associations in Turkey (FSAT), Mezo-Der and Federation of Syriac People in Germany (HSA) met at the parliament with the Commission, which consisted of deputies of all political parties present at the Turkish Parliament.

The Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) representatives focused their attention on the most important and fragile issues that face Assyrian people, and explained the historical and current situation of Assyrians.

The Assyrian representatives presented a report concerning the demands and expectations of Assyrian people from the new constitution, and highlighted the injustice concerning the lack of status of the Assyrian people, the suppression of unjust and false passages in high school textbooks, which portrayed Assyrians as "traitors" (AINA 10-2-2011), the views concerning definition of "citizenship" in the new constitution and problems concerning land issues in the Tur Abdin region.

The Assyrian committee members, Tuma Çelik (ESU), Evgil Türker (FSAT), Tuma Özdemir (Mezo-Der) and Saliba Joseph (HSA) will continue their meetings with all political parties in the Turkish Parliament.

Tuma Çelik declared the meeting a success and the atmosphere a cordial one.

www.esu.cc

Article edited by AINA.