A new Syriac Orthodox Church to be built in Istanbul will be a "new wealth" for the city, Turkey's president said on Saturday, APA reports referring to Anadolu Agency.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a groundbreaking ceremony of the Syriac Orthodox Mor Efrem Church in Istanbul.
Speaking at the ceremony, Erdogan said construction of the church would be completed in two years.
"Like all their other issues, meeting the worshipping needs of the Assyrian community, the ancient children of our geography, is the duty of the state of the Republic of Turkey," Erdogan said.
"We are a nation which has been ruling over this region for almost a millennium, and Istanbul for 566 years. Throughout this long history, our region has always been the heart of religious, ethnic and cultural diversity, most importantly of the conscience of humanity," he added.
He added that Turkey was currently hosting nearly 4 million Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens as well as Muslims, Assyrians, Ezidis and other groups from Syria and Iraq.
From Spain to North Africa, Turkey's gates and hearts have been open to all oppressed, said Erdogan, stressing: "There was and never will be room for discrimination in our minds and hearts.
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