Surb Khach is a centuries-old witness of Armenians' massacres: Reuters

Turkey's move to allow to the clergymen of the recently renovated Surb Khach (Holly Cross) church to serve a liturgy ceremony on September 19 is a gesture of "reconciliation and peace," writes local Turkish daily Milliyet, citing Reuters.com.

Surb Khach is an Armenian church located on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

"For Armenians across the world, the church in eastern Anatolia is a testimony to centuries of persecution, deportations and mass killings at the hands of Ottoman forces. Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia are bitterly divided over their troubled history and the border between them remains closed despite U.S.-brokered peace accords signed last year," writes Reuters.

"At one point, goes on the author, there were 2,000 Armenian churches in Turkey, but only 45 are left standing. The rest, Armenian officials say, were destroyed, ransacked or turned into mosques or schools.

The church reopened in 2007 as a museum, following a $1.5 million renovation by the Turkish government. Despite pleas by church officials, a cross was not allowed on the church.

Munir Karaloglu, governor of Van province, said a cross will be placed on the dome before the mass and will remain there."

At the same time Reuters mentions that "often criticized in the West for its treatment of Christian minorities, Ankara has promoted the mass as proof of commitment to tolerance.

"Critics say the one-day service is a public relations campaign to improve EU candidate's Turkey's image."