Bishop in Europe welcomes promise of help in Istanbul

The Bishop in Europe has welcomed an announcement by the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, that the government is to fund repairs to an historic chapel in the grounds of the British Consulate General in Istanbul. News of the restoration came in a written response from the Foreign Secretary to a question raised by Lord Strathclyde following a period of uncertainty of the future of St Helena’s Chapel which was badly damaged in a terrorist bombing incident in November 2003.

Diocesan statement follows:

The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, the Right Reverend Geoffrey Rowell, welcomes the announcement by the Foreign Secretary which safeguards the future of St Helena’s Chapel within the confines of the British Consulate General site in Tepebasi, Istanbul. The decision to fund the repairs to the chapel follows thoughtful discussions about the future of the building. Since the serious structural damage suffered in the bombing in November 2003, the Bishop has visited Istanbul on several occasions, and has been in close contact with the Consul-General and with senior members of the Foreign Office in the United Kingdom.
Bishop Geoffrey is delighted at this positive outcome which ensures Christian worship will continue on a site which was given many years ago by the Turkish government expressly for that purpose.

BACKGROUND NOTE

St Helena´s Chapel suffered serious structural damage in the bombing in November 2003. Thirty people were killed and 400 others were injured in the blast from two trucks driver by suicide bombers.
Land for the chapel was a historic gift by the Turkish Sultan Selim III to the British crown in 1801 and specifically set aside for the purpose of Christian worship.

Revd. Paul Needle, Diocesan Communications Officer
Tel: +44 (0)1933 312800;
Mobile : +44 (0)7833 372439;
E-Mail: paul.needle@europe.c-of-e.org.uk