Head of the Armenian Patriarchate visits his hometown Silvan, Diyarbakir

Having left his hometown at the age of five, Aram Atesyan, acting head of the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey, visited his hometown Silvan in the southeastern Diyarbakir province on Wednesday for the very first time since his departure. Expressing his joy at returning his hometown after all these years, Atesyan said, "I have returned happily to Silvan that I had left with sadness when I was five years old." Stating that the Turkish government has enabled so many facilities for them, Atesyan deplored those days when they were frequently told to go and seek their rights before court, if they were not happy. "Once upon a time, Turks and Armenians lived together on this land. Steps are being taken now to ensure that we can live all together once again. We have come to consolidate love and brotherhood," Atesyan concluded.