him about Christians in Midyat, a medieval town not far from Turkey’s volatile border with Iraq.
Its the main, roughly 5,000 year old city in Tur Abdin ("Mountain of the servants of God") where caves’ inhabitants were supposedly among the first to have accepted the Christian faith. Nowadays mosques dominate the landscape.
"I am a Muslim, but have a Christian family as my neighbours," says the soldier as darkness falls over the troubled region. The word "Christians" is enough to let him lower his rifle that was pointed towards the journalist.
With some sadness in his voice, the young man notes that his religion does not allow him to marry "a Christian woman if she does not convert". Yet, this gunman is considered an exception.
Christians fear new hostilities towards them, as the fighting in Iraq continues. The Christian community that mainly belongs to the Syrian Orthodox Church is seen as pro-American, "and the war in Iraq as a conflict between Muslims and Christians," locals say.
TENSIONS
These tensions seem to explain why a guide at the region’s over 1600 year old Mor Gabriel Monastery, sees few foreign tourists these days.
"But it is interesting that Muslims keep coming. They see it even as a holy place," explains Isa Dogdu, a Bible teacher at what is believed to be the worlds’ oldest functioning monastery, with over 30 young Christian students.
His church is now trying to bring in more New Testaments and other Christian literature, despite apparent difficulties with Turkish forces. An armoured personnel carrier of the Turkish army parks in front of the Mor Gabriel Monastery, located behind an ancient wall, high above sea level.
Soldiers later leave as they see anxiously looking journalists. The incident underscores concern that Turkish troops may become part of a new campaign against local Christians.
KILLINGS
Officially the Turkish Government has described the military build-up as part of efforts to secure the border area against Kurdish extremists and an influx of refugees from Iraq. But local Christians also know a different army.
In the last decade, up to 30 Christians were killed and others threatened by militant Muslims as well as Turkish forces and village guards, ANS has learned. Of the 50,000 Christians that once populated the border region, an estimated 3,000 believers remained.
From the previous 1,000 Christian families in the area of Midyat, only 100 decided to stay, according to church estimates. But journalists are apparently not very welcome to investigate the troubles.
One chilly night an ANS reporter and his journalist wife are escorted out of a passengers bus on its way to northern Iraq by heavily armed security forces "because of document problems."
SHELLING
They are forced to walk through a field towards a run down military outpost next to an armoured personnel carrier. Its canon appears to be firmly focused on nearby mountains of northern Iraq where Kurds claim to have been shelled by Turkish troops, charges the authorities strongly deny.
Possible hundreds of thousands of Kurds are believed to be in those mountains without running water and electricity. They include thousands of women who lost husbands after the failed Kurdish uprising in 1991, says the well informed German based international relief organization Help.
But as suffering continues, so apparently do the miracles. Agnes R. Bos, who reports for the Russian Services of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Radio France International (RFI) later says "that God must have taken notice."
HELP
If troops would not have stopped her and her husband, she argues, they would not have been dropped at a nearby hotel where they seem to have been ‘awaited’ by a Help relief worker.
The man they never met before hands over the keys of his mini- bus so they can use it during their assignment. For free. Its welcome news in a region where drivers can charge hundred United States dollars or more for small rides "because of war dangers."
They briefly consider to paint the words "U.N" on the white mini- bus, but later abandon the plan after it becomes evident that even most aid organizations are not appreciated by Turkish authorities in the border region.
"If its up to me, journalists can pass. But my commander always wants to know everything," explains the soldier at a check point near Midyat.
"I like Christians. I know they drink wine sometimes and are very friendly…" Not everyone within the Turkish military and security forces seem to agree. It are those people local Christians fear the most.
