Conflict broke out among Turkish forces and members of the sectarian Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Diyarbakir’s Sur district of Turkey. As the battle ensued the Virgin Mary Church, a 1,700 year old church, was damaged in the fighting while the church leader and his family remained in their home on the premise. Fr. Akbulut described it as a “war zone” as rocket propelled grenades and land mines exploded all around them. The Lord’s protection enabled them to flee the destruction safely even though Fr. Akbulut wanted to remain as long as possible to protect the church. Photo: The 1,700-year-old Virgin Mary Syriac Orthodox Church, in Diyarbakir, Turkey Learn more:
