Desecration of Armenian cemetery in Istanbul
On the night of 7 to 8 July 2026, an individual entered the Surp Karabet Christian Cemetery in Istanbul by climbing over the perimeter wall. The perpetrator vandalised six graves and a memorial just days before the reconsecration of the Armenian Surp Karapet Church. The reports describe the Christian community as deeply wounded by the incident, and their concerns over the safety of Christian communities in Turkey have been heightened.
On 9 July 2026, authorities arrested a suspect in connection with an attack of vandalism at the Surp Karapet Christian Cemetery in Istanbul on the night of 7 to 8 July. According to the report, the individual entered the cemetery by climbing over the perimeter wall. Six graves and a memorial were found vandalised just days before the reconsecration of the Surp Karapet Church.
According to reports, a Turkish parliamentarian has demanded a clarification on the nature of hate crimes against Christians. He stated that this incident and other cases, such as attacks against Christian schools, are crimes which "undermine the sense of security of Christian communities in Turkey."
Following the incident, representatives of the Christian communities expressed concern about the security for Christian places of worship and burial sites, calling on the authorities to strengthen protection for Armenian and other Christian churches, cemeteries, and communities, which are a minority religion in Turkey.
Sources: sputniknews, yerkramas, news.am
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