Midyat, Turkey -- The Second Civil Court of First Instance in Medyad (Midyat) has ruled that members of a Assyrian family from Tur Abdin may not officially change their Turkish surname to their original Assyrian family name, Assyrian newspaper Gazete Sabro reports.

The ruling concerns members of a Assyrian family registered in the village of Anhel (Yemisli) in Tur Abdin. During a second hearing on 10 September 2026, the court in Medyad granted the request of Sikare Erçin to change her personal name to 'Karin' but rejected the requests to change the surnames of Gabriela Erçin, Manuela Erçin, Mariya Erçin, and Sikare Erçin from "Erçin" to "Hanne."

Court Disregards ECtHR and Constitutional Court Case Law

Representing the plaintiffs, lawyer Barsawmo Gürkan drew attention to existing evidence in the case, citing precedent-setting ruling by Medyad civil courts and a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Aktas and Aslaniskender v. Turkey (No. 2017/18684). Gürkan claimed that the written response from the Turkish Language Association saying the requested surname Hanne violated regulatory guidelines, is based on a framework of naming guidelines that dates to 1934, when Turkey's Surname Law was first enacted. The Turkish Surname Law stipulated that every citizen had to adopt a "Turkish-ethnic" surname.

The family lawyer argued that Hanne is not a foreign ethnic or foreign national name, but a name deeply rooted in the Assyrian family's lineage, memory, and tradition. Barsawmo Gürkan pointed out to the court that the plaintiff's father had previously obtained a court ruling, changing his legal first name to Hanne, and that this ruling had become final.

Gürkan urged the court to set aside the Turkish Language Association's opinion and declare the case admissible. He argued that rulings by the ECtHR and the Turkish Constitutional Court, as well as established legal practice, should serve as the primary basis for a ruling.

Assyrian Surname 'Gabriel' Rejected as Being 'of Hebrew Origin'

Legal battles over Assyrian identity and family names have faced similar hurdles before.

Earlier this year, local courts rejected the requests of Assyrian citizens, whose roots extend from Tur Abdin to Switzerland, who sought to adopt the surname "Gabriel." After the Turkish Language Association argued the name was "of Hebrew origin," that legal struggle was escalated to the Constitutional Court.

It is expected that the legal efforts of Suroyo families seeking to officially reclaim their original surnames -- based on their identity, cultural, and linguistic rights -- will be brought before higher Turkish courts.