Kidnappers Demand 300,000 Euros
for Assyrian Priest

Nov. 29, 07
By Nuri Kino
EasternStar News Agency
Edited by AINA

One of the monks of a monastery in south-east Turkey was occupied with his daily choirs as he received a phone call from Daniel, another monk. Responding to the call he soon found out it was not Daniel's voice but someone else's. The voice said in Turkish:

"We have kidnapped the monk and we demand 300,000 Euros for his release."

The monk became very afraid. Was it really true or was it a joke? But who would joke about such a thing. The phone call came from Daniels own mobile phone. The monk soon received a text message.

"We want 300,000 Euros or we won't release him", it said.

The monk then informed bishop Samuel Aktas, the leader of the kidnapped Daniel.

I have myself spent the entire afternoon and evening trying to understand what has happened to my friend Daniel. His relatives in Sweden are in shock. Every member of the Syriac Orthodox Church who has heard about it is also in shock.

I placed a call to Mor Yakup, the monastery he belongs to, and spoke to one of the teachers about the kidnapping. "Villagers saw a vehicle following his pickup, it was a vehicle no one could recognize." My mother switched between the Turkish channels. Every one of them reported about the kidnapping. They showed a picture of Daniel and my eyes became full of tears. My friend is kidnapped. I had to force myself to think rationally and not allow feelings to guide me. I must do what I can, report about it and make the world aware of the violence against the small number of Assyrians left in south eastern Turkey.

My father came home and he was shocked by the news like the rest of us. He knows people from the village. I called Saleh, the village where the monastery lies, and spoke to some villagers.

They found his empty pickup at two a clock. The villager I spoke to said, "I have never known such a hard working person before, he is very religious and kind. He helps everyone in the village, loves both Muslims and Christians. We turn to him when we need help. He is very handy too."

Twelve children, between six and seventeen years old, live in the monastery of Mor Yakup. They are poor children from other parts of Tur Abdin, which means the mountain of the servants of God in Assyrian. It got the name because it once had the world's biggest number of churches and monasteries. The children attend either the village school or the school in the town of Midyat, where I was born.

There are four nuns and another monk in the village of Saleh.

While writing this I heard Star Haber, another TV channel announce they had an urgent message. The message was that my friend Daniel is kidnapped.

The channel Euro D interviewed the mayor of Midyat, Seyhmus Nasiroglu, both he and the reporter associated the kidnapping with cases of murder of priests in other places in Turkey. They also mentioned the Danish Mohamed caricatures. I could not listen to everything as I was interrupted by a phone call from another friend in Saleh. He was sad, disappointed but told me both the Turkish military and the police are looking for father Daniel. Another channel displayed his picture. I switched of the TV so I could concentrate of the phone call.

It feels almost surreal that another friend has been kidnapped. I can't do anything but to hope that he is released and that Turkish authorities take every necessary measure to protect Assyrians (also called Syriacs and Chaldeans).

When will the violence against us end? We have been driven from what is the land of our forefathers since six thousand years ago. We are slaughtered in Iraq, we suffer in Syria and Jordan -- and I must always try to think rationally and objectively.

Father Daniel used to say he is proud of me. Thinking about that right now feels weird. The last time I met him he was busy building new rooms for the children, which he loves as if they were his own. May God protect him and let him be back soon to the monastery where people are weeping for him.

Nuri Kino is a journalist in Sweden specializing in investigative journalism, and is one of the most highly awarded journalists in Europe (CV). He is an Assyrian from Turkey. His documentary, Assyriska: a National team without a Nation, was awarded The Golden Palm at the 2006 Beverly Hills Film festival.