A National Park and Wedding Hall Built in Place of Armenian Cemeteries in Turkey

A national park named "National Garden" and a wedding hall have been constructed in the area of Armenian and Assyrian cemeteries located in the town of Dergechit, Mardin Province, Turkey. This information was reported by Gazete Duvar.

The construction was initiated by a representative of the provincial authority in 2016. The construction was halted for some time but resumed after the local government elections in which the ruling Justice and Development Party won.

For the implementation of this project, the state allocated 1 million 270 thousand lira (220,000 dollars). A local Assyrian resident, Abdulmesih Ergyun, reported that there are still graves in the park, and construction continued even after a child's coffin with a cross on it was found at the site. Ergyun stated that he is unable to stop the construction. He noted that cemeteries do not recognize religion or race and are considered sacred sites, describing the authorities' actions as desecration.