Assyrians who had migrated to France decades ago due to security concerns returned to their ancestral village of Kosreli in Silopi, a district of Sirnak province in southeastern Turkey.

Around 150 community members gathered at the foothills of Mount Cudi to reconnect with their roots and hold a religious service in the village abandoned during times of unrest.

Prayers and shared memories

The visitors began their return by visiting cemeteries, where they sang hymns and prayed for their ancestors. Afterward, the group shared a communal meal, walked through the village, and recalled stories from their family histories.

Archbishop Sabri Anar, who led the group from the Mar Petyun Chaldean Church in Diyarbakir, underlined that the visits, now organized for the third time, aim to demonstrate the safety of the region and encourage those who left to come back.

He noted, "Every time we come here, we feel a sense of happiness. In everyone's eyes, there is longing for homeland, land, history, and the past."

Voices from diaspora

Some participants shared deeply personal reflections. Resit Duman, who left the village at the age of 15 and resettled with his family in France, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome they received, saying that despite living abroad, "this state has always been our state, and we always feel like its citizens."

Metin Anar, returning for the first time in nearly half a century, described walking through the village as an emotional experience that reminded him of his childhood and even brought him to tears. Others, such as Hanne Duman, emphasized their desire to continue visiting and remembering their origins together.