Turkey's Jerusalem consulate stands on property of church victimized by Armenian genocide - report

Turkey’s consulate in Jerusalem, which it describes as its "Embassy to Palestine", is located on a property owned by the Syriac Church, whose members were victims of the genocide against Armenians and Syriac (Aramean) Christians around 100 years ago, the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy announced this week.

The report situates the issue within the broader historical context of World War I, when Armenian communities in eastern Anatolia were killed by Ottoman authorities in 1915-1916, alongside what it describes as systematic violence against Syriac Christians in the same regions. It estimates that tens of thousands of Syriac Christians were killed and that entire communities were displaced or destroyed.

“This is a moral contradiction against the backdrop of the Israeli government’s recognition of the Armenian genocide,” said Chaim Silberstein, chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP), a research and policy institute focused on Jerusalem’s status as Israel’s unified capital.

Many Syriac Orthodox Christians and Armenian families in Israel today are descended from people who fled the violence in the Ottoman Empire, and they have long campaigned for official recognition of the suffering of their ancestors. The report suggests that this development may add another issue for these communities to raise with present-day Turkish authorities.

It also notes that the matter could increase tensions between different communities in Jerusalem, particularly if it is confirmed that the Syriac Patriarchate knowingly accepted rent payments from Ankara for the building.

A senior official in the Armenian Patriarchate told Ynet News that it was not previously aware of the arrangement: “We were not familiar with the details and they surprised us. The Syriacs are connected to us. Unfortunately, this is what happens when money replaces values.”

The report further states that the building housing the Turkish consulate is part of a larger compound of government facilities located in northern Jerusalem neighborhoods, and that it is labeled as the “Turkish Embassy to Palestine,” with most of its activity conducted with the Palestinian Authority (PA).

JCAP also argues that the Turkish consulate’s presence raises questions about its diplomatic role in Jerusalem and its broader political implications, noting that some view it as sensitive given the contested status of the city and competing claims regarding sovereignty.

“While in many countries in the region Christian communities are severely harmed, in Israel they enjoy freedom and protection of holy sites and their right to live in security,” said Ran Yishai, JCAP's head of research.

“It is time to reexamine the very existence of the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem, which defines itself as the Turkish Embassy to Palestine, or more accurately, to saving Hamas, while denying and harming Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.”