Turks filmed dancing atop Armenian church in Istanbul

PanARMENIAN.Net - Two men in Turkey were filmed dancing on the Armenian Church of Surp Takavor in Kadıköy, Istanbul.

According to a video posted by HDP member Murad Mıhçı on Twitter, the men have climbed onto the building near a cross, while a group of others are seen dancing to loud music and drinking nearby.

The church was vandalized in 2018 when the inscription “From Erzurum resident, this homeland is ours” was spray-painted on it's walls and garbage was dumped at the front door.

Earlier in the year, a man in Turkey organized a barbeque party in the historic Armenian Sourp Asdvadzadzin Church (19th century) in the village of Germuş, 10km northeast of the city of Urfa. According to local media reports, the kebab seller cooked the local liver kebab for a while and served it to people attending the "event". The barbecue party, held in the church and shared on social media, created a wave of reaction among users.

Many Armenian churches and historic heritage sites in Turkey have been neglected or destroyed over the decades. Others have been converted into mosques, cattle sheds and warehouses.