BIOGRAPHY Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas (Metropolitan of Istanbul & Ankara)

Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas was born in 1945 in Bekusyone, a village of Tur´Abdin. After completing his studies at the Syrian school (Madrasa) in his village, he worked as a teacher for the Syriac language and for religion. In 1961 he joined the Monastery of Mor Gabriel and decided for living as a monk. In 1962 he was ordained as deacon and in 1964 he entered the monk order. After military service in 1967 he took the leadership of the seminary in the monastery established by the abbot Yeshu´Cicek (late Metropolitan Mor Julius of Central Europe). In 1969 he went to the USA to study the English language und theology and came in 1972. On his return he was appointed as the abbot of the Monastery Mor Gabriel.

In 1980 His Holiness the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas honoured him with the Holy Cross for his great efforts in the monastery. After the passing away of the Archbishop of Tur´Abdin, Mor Philoxenos Ilyas Cankaya in 1984, he was elected archbishop for the diocese of Tur´Abdin and was ordained as TIMOTHEOS at the Patriarchate in Damascus by His Holiness the Patriarch on 10th February 1985. Since then he lead the diocese of the Tur´Abdin and the Monastery Mor Gabriel.  The Metropolitan resides at Mor Gabriel Monastery.

His Eminence have received several prizes in recognition to his service. In 1993 the Church of Finland gave him a prize for his tireless efforts during the Gulf crisis in 1991 for helping the Iraqi refugees. Again in 1993 he was given two honourary titles, one by the Collegium Sancti Spiritus (Doctor of Divinity) and the other by Diandra University (Doctor of Theology).

H.E. is one of the prominent leaders of the community who stood firmly against the tide of the immigration of his flock to Europe in the last couple of decades. His efforts of easing the difficult situation in the area have maintained the Christian presence in Tur´Abdin. As the Metropolitan Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktas has given much of his time to the care of the Monastery of Mor Gabriel. The renovations and activities that have taken place in the monastery for the last quarter of a century are all his work. he is still caring for the monastery and overseeing the needs of the diocese.