Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Monday, 3 July 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 17 July 2017. It was answered by Baroness Goldie (Conservative) on Monday, 17 July 2017 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Turkey: Christianity

Question: Her Majesty's Government whether the UK embassy in Ankara has made any contacts with the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation in relation to the government of Turkey's seizure of Christian properties.

Answer: Our Embassy in Ankara has not been in contact with the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation. Legal changes to local government structures in Mardin, where many important Assyrian religious sites are found, resulted in 2012 in the transfer of the title deeds to some religious sites from local bodies to central government. They were eventually transferred to the Government's Directorate for Religious Affairs. Assyrian organisations are making legal appeals against these decisions. The British Embassy in Ankara regularly raises human rights issues with the Turkish authorities and will be closely following this legal process.

Secondary information