Christians mark holiday with celebrations across Turkey

Christians throughout Turkey marked Christmas on Thursday and Friday with masses at Catholic and Orthodox churches while other celebrations were also held by other Christian citizens and expatriates.

In Istanbul, the Christian community celebrated Christmas at various churches. Beyoğlu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan attended the service at Saint Antoine Church in Taksim and offered his holiday greetings to the Christian community.

A four-hour ceremony was held at the Fener Patriarchate and led by Patriarch Bartholomew. Participants included Turkey’s Greek Orthodox citizens and visitors from Greece and other countries. When asked for his Christmas message by members of the press, Patriarch Bartholomew wished everyone a good year.

In Hatay’s İskenderun district on the Mediterranean, masses were held in both Catholic and Orthodox churches. Luigi Padovese, bishop of the Anatolian Catholic Church, conveyed messages of love and tolerance.

“I thank our Muslim brothers who are here today. Our being in the same place shows that we are on the same page for both sad and happy events,” Padovese said. “We are different but the things that unite us are more than the ones that separate us.”

During a ceremony in Hatay’s Orthodox Church, the Rev. Dimitri Yıldırım prayed in Turkish and hoped the New Year would bring peace and prosperity to the world, especially Turkey. Mayor Yusuf Civelek attended the ceremony, where people dressed as Santa Claus handed out toys to children.

On the Aegean in Muğla’s Dalyan district, a Christmas celebration was held at İztuzu Beach and was attended by British, German and Dutch tourists who arrived from Köyceğiz, Marmaris and Fethiye. Dalyan Mayor Arif Sarı, also attended the celebration during which people sang songs and danced.

In Cappadocia, a popular tourist destination in Nevşehir province, balloon pilot Geert van Wolvelaer dressed up as Santa Claus and handed out Turkish delight to his passengers. Metin Kayhan, owner of the Ürgüp Balloon Company said they had their pilots dressed as Santa Claus on Dec. 25 as a gesture to their Christian customers.

Van Wolvelaer said he had wanted to fly a balloon dressed as Santa Claus on Dec. 25 in Europe but could not because of the harsh weather conditions. “Turkey is a very lucky country,” he said. “The sun shines brightly during this season. Merry Christmas, everybody.”

Christians in the Aegean region went to the house of the Virgin Mary in the Selçuk district of İzmir to pray at midnight on Christmas Eve. The Rev. Mesut Karaca said they prayed for peace and were very happy to be on the mountain where the Virgin Mary spent her final years.

In Mersin, the Christian community attended services at Mersin Italian Catholic Church. Roberto Ferrari, one of the church’s spiritual leaders, wished blessings from God to everyone, adding that he hoped peace and brotherhood would dominate the earth.

/Huriyyet Daily News/