A/55/280/Add.1 that, while the authorities respected their freedom of religion, it was nevertheless difficult for them to exercise that freedom. In particular, they pointed to the lack of any legal status for the Syriac community. 116. The community has no religious training seminar and this poses a serious problem, since the corps of clergy is ageing and the authorities have prohibited the replacement of any deceased clergy by clerics from abroad. The situation thus threatens the very survival of this community, since its religious identity will gradually disappear as the present clergy pass on. 117. With respect to places of worship, the authorities have imposed restrictions on the renovation of churches and monasteries in the Turrabdin region of southeastern Turkey. The authorities sometimes justify these restrictions in the name of preserving a historic landmark. Yet in many cases this stance in fact seems to represent interference by the authorities, inspired by a nationalism that rejects all minorities, particularly Christians. A clear example of the situation can be seen in the fact that the Syriacs were prohibited from expanding the Deyrulsafaran monastery at Mardin in a manner consistent with its architectural style (cut stone), but were told that they could proceed if they used other materials, in this case plain concrete. The results can be readily seen upon a visit to the monastery. Besides such problems with the rehabilitation of existing churches, the community faces the confiscation of places of worship declared “unused” by the General Director of Foundations, which sometimes will convert them into mosques. In Istanbul, which has become the principle destination of Syriac migration, there is only one Syriac church, and worshippers are therefore obliged to use the facilities of other communities. Repeated complaints by the Syriac representatives to the authorities, including the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, have been fruitless. The Syriac community is thus, in practice, denied the right to construct places of worship in Istanbul, despite its evident, urgent and legitimate needs. 118. With respect to other properties, the Syriacs are severely lacking in social, charitable and health institutions, because they are prohibited from opening their own establishments. Petitions addressed to the authorities, including senior government officials, have so far had no success. The same is true for applications to open schools. The Syriac culture, including its religious basis (such as its liturgical language and 22 rites), can only be passed on to the new generation through courses offered in places of worship which, as was pointed out, are non-official schools. It was reported that in 1998 the mayor of Mardin prohibited Syriac religious instruction. 119. When it comes to the religious and ethics courses in the public schools, Syriac children are eligible for exemption. Nevertheless, such exemption poses two kinds of difficulties, particularly in southeastern Turkey: on one hand, parents do not ask for exemption for fear of ostracism, and on the other hand some schools refuse to respect this exemption, even when it has been formally approved in advance. 120. The status of the Syriacs is of particular concern in light of their massive departure from their principal traditional homeland, i.e. southeastern Turkey. The authorities explain this phenomenon exclusively in terms of economic considerations. Syriac representatives, on the contrary, are unanimous in pointing to political and religious factors, particularly the nationalistic policy of Turkization. According to them, this policy translates into a series of limitations and infringements: non-recognition of Syriac religious and cultural identity, occasional banning of the Aramaic language, and the prohibition of community social and educational institutions, as well as the Turkization of Syriac village names and of personal and family names. The situation is aggravated, according to the Syriac representatives, by the current conflict between the Turkish authorities and the Kurdish movements, including the PKK. The position of neutrality that the Syriacs have adopted has been mutually interpreted by the authorities and by the Kurdish movements alike as support for the enemy. Thus, the Syriacs have been subjected repeatedly to attacks by individuals and by armed bands who may take away their goods, abduct their daughters and force them to convert to Islam, and may even commit murder (see the communication of the Special Rapporteur, cited in E/CN.4/1995/91). This climate of violence has forced most Syriacs to leave southeastern Turkey. It must be added that there is social pressure everywhere, and particularly in the Southeast, reflecting a refusal to accept the local Syriac population, who are viewed as not conforming to the nationalist motto of “one nation, one race, one culture”. This attitude, unfortunately, extends to certain authorities, particularly at the local level, who betray their rejection of this community in different ways. It must also be noted that there has