Naum Faik Commemoration, Diyarbakır 2026

Naum Faik Commemorated for the First Time in His Own Home Naum Faik Palak, the Syriac head teacher, thinker and writer from Diyarbakır, was commemorated for the first time, exactly 96 years after his death (05.02.2026), in the land of his birth, in Diyarbakır, on the street of the house where he was born. For the participants and the people of Diyarbakır, the fact that the name of Naum Faik, who spent most of his life struggling for the awakening, language and culture of his people, echoed once again in the streets of Diyarbakır after so many years carries a profound meaning. The commemoration program, organized by DİTAV and the Turabdin Institute, was moderated by Şeyhmus Diken, Chairman of the Board of DİTAV. In the presentations given by Adem Coşkun and Şilan Çelebioğlu during the program, Naum Faik's life, works, intellectual legacy and the historical significance he holds for the Syriac people and for the identity of Diyarbakır were addressed comprehensively. The program, hosted by DİTAV (at the premises of the Former Syriac Girls' School), was notable for the strong attendance of representatives of civil society organizations, academics and activists. There were moving moments throughout the commemoration program; with the poems read, the contributions shared and the question-and-answer sessions, the panel took the participants on what was almost a journey into the multilingual, multicultural Diyarbakır of roughly 100 years ago. The commemoration of Naum Faik on his own street, in the language and memory of his own people, was not merely a commemoration but also a belated act of loyalty, a bond re-established with history and the silent yet powerful cry of a memory that resists oblivion. At the end of the commemoration program, a surprise birthday celebration was held for Adem Coşkun, Specialist in Syriac Studies and Chairman of the Board of the Turabdin Institute.